Memory - Types Of Long Term Memory Flashcards
Procedural memory
Memories for motor (movement) skills and actions
Memories of actions that are carried out in a certain order - knowing how
Non-declarative - more difficult to describe verbally and put into words
Unavailable for conscious inspection- carrying out the action automatically without much awareness of the memory
More resistant to forgetting + amnesia
Episodic memory
Refers to memories relating to a specific episode or event that happened in your life
Have a particular time and place
Autobiographical memory - knowing that
Declarative - easily described verbally and put into words
Can be consciously inspected - have an awareness of the specific personal memory
Semantic memory
Relates to meaning
Fact-based memories for meaningful information
General knowledge about the world - knowing that
No reference to time and place
Not personal memories
Declarative - easily described verbally and put into words
Tulving et al
Different parts of the brain activated when remembering different types of long term memories
Episodic memories: right prefrontal cortex
Semantic memories: left prefrontal cortex
Patient H.M
Bicycle accident- removed hippocampus- unable to form new memories
Practiced drawing a star while looking at the mirror, struggled at first but got better with practice - procedural
Able to form new procedural long term memories but cannot form episodic memories - didn’t remember practicing
There are different types of long term memory
No semantic no episodic but formed procedural
Clive wearing
Unable to form new memories - has a 30 second episodic memory capacity
Could not recall many memories before 1985
Lost semantic memories
But maintained ability to play and recall procedural memories - play complex piano pieces
Supports different types of long term memory
Evidence against
Unable to generalise
Use of unique and rare case studies, findings may not generalise to the wider population
Procedural memory
Memories for motor (movement) skills and actions
Memories of actions that are carried out in a certain order
Knowing how to do things
Non-declarative
Can be more difficult to describe verbally + put into words
Unavailable for conscious inspection - carrying out the action automatically without much awareness of the memory
Episodic memory
Refers to memories relating to a specific episode or even that happened in your life
Have a particular time and place
Autobiographical memory - knowing that
Declarative - can be described visually and put into words
Can be consciously inspected - have an awareness of the specific personal memory
