memory - types of long term memory Flashcards
who stated there were different types of LTM?
Tulving(1985)
what are the three types of LTM?
episodic, semantic, procedural
what is episodic memory?
refers to our ability to recall events from out lives. these are time stamped so we remember what happened as well as where it happened. This includes people, places, objects and behaviour. a conscious effort is needed to recall these memories.
what is semantic memory?
contains our shared knowledge of the world. these memories are not time stamped. this memory is less personal. a conscious effort is needed to recall but this is quick
what is procedural memory?
memory for actions/skills. recall these events without conscious awareness or much effort.
describe clinical evidence as a strength of the types of LTM
case study involving HM and Clive Wearing. This is clear as both episodic memory was impaired due to brain damage but semantic memories were relatively unaffected. They both still knew how to walk, talk and Wearing still knew how to read music and play the piano. This supports Tulving’s view that there are different LTM stores, as one can be damaged with others unaffected.
discuss a counterpoint to clinical evidence as a strength of long term memory
studying people with brain injuries can help researchers to understand how memory is supposed to work normally however there is a lack of control variables. The researcher cannot control how the accident happened or have no knowledge on what their memory was like before the accident even happened. This means there is a lack on what these clinical studies can tell us about types of LTM.
discuss conflicting neuroimaging evidence as a limitation of different types of LTM
there is conflicting evidence from other research. For example, Buckner and Petersen (1996) reviewed evidence regarding the location of semantic and episodic memory. They concluded that semantic memory was located on the left side of the prefrontal cortex and episodic on the right. However Tulving(1994) found the left was for episodic memories and the right was semantic. This shows there is poor agreement on the location of memory stores.
discuss real world application as a strength of the types of LTM
understanding the LTM stores allows psychologists to help people with memory problems. This is clear as old people experience memory loss from the episodic memory. Belleville(2006) devised an intervention to improve episodic memory in older people and they scored better than the control group. This shows that distinguishing the types of LTM can enable treatments to be produced
