Memory - Types of long term memory

Question 1

Name the 3 types of LTM.

Answer 1

Episodic
Semantic
Procedural

Question 2

Explain episodic memory.

Answer 2

Stores events from our lives.
Time-stamped and involve elements such as people, places and emotions woven into one memory.
Require conscious recall.

Question 3

Explain semantic memory.

Answer 3

Stores our knowledge of the world.
Not time-stamped and are less personal and are universally shared facts/knowledge.
Require conscious recall.

Question 4

Explain procedural memory.

Answer 4

Stores memories for actions and skills and how we do things/AKA muscle memory.
Recall requires no conscious effort and becomes automatic with practice. Often these types of memories are hard to explain because they are done so effortlessly.

Question 5

2 strengths of research done into the types of LTM.

Answer 5

Case study evidence supports different types: Patient HM and Clive Wearing both had difficulty accessing events that happened to them in the past (episodic memory!) but HM’s semantic memory was clearly intact - knew what a dog was etc - and Clive Wearing demonstrated his procedural memory was functioning - he could still play the piano. This supports that there are separate stores in the LTM because even if one is damaged the others are unaffected. COUNTERPOINT - for these case studies researchers don’t have any valid proof of what either of their memory was like before the damage was done to the patients brains so clinical studies such as these are limited in their validity.

Research can help people with memory problems: memory loss in old age is specific to episodic memories and Belleville et al. 1994 used this to design an intervention for elderly that effectively improved their memory compared to the control group. Therefore this research has led to specific treatments being developed.

Question 6

1 limitation of research done into the types of LTM.

Answer 6

Buckner and Petersen 1996 reviewed research findings and concluded the semantic memory is located in the left prefrontal cortex but Tulving et al 1994 found memory was associated with the right prefrontal cortex and the reverse side for episodic memory. This conflicting evidence about the different types and their brain areas challenges LTM type validity, as there is no clear neurophysiological evidence to support them.