Memory- types of LTM Flashcards
What are procedural memories
Responsible for knowing how to do things, i.e., memory of motor skills
Particularly strong memories nearly immune to forgetting and concern themselves with ‘knowing how’
What do procedural memories not involve
Conscious though (it’s unconscious / automatic)
Where are procedural memories stored
The cerebellum
What is the cerebellum responsible for
Controlling motor movements, posture and balance.
What are semantic memories
Responsible for storing information about the world, it’s factual information that can be thought of as our dictionary of knowledge
These memories concern themselves with ‘knowing that’
What do semantic memories include
Includes information about the meaning of words, as well as our general knowledge. E.g., London is the capital of England.
What are episodic memories
Responsible for storing information about events (i.e., episodes) that we have experienced in our lives.
These are ‘time stamped events’
What do epidodic memories involve
Conscious thought and revolves around events in time and place.
Where are semantic and episodic memories stored
Hippocampus and some surrounding regions within the temporal lobe.
What is the hippocampus responsible for
The hippocampus is just responsible for memory
What are the temporal lobes responsible for
the temporal lobe has other functions such as processing auditory information
What is implicit LTM
Previous experiences aid the performance of a task without conscious awareness of these previous experiences (procedural LTM).
What is explicit LTM
Information that you have to consciously think about (semantic and episodic LTM).
What did Cohen and Squire do
Drew a distinction between declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge.
Procedural knowledge involves “knowing how” to do things. It included skills, such as “knowing how” to playing the piano, ride a bike; tie your shoes and other motor skills. This links to our procedural LTM.
It does not involve conscious thought (i.e. it’s unconscious - automatic). For example, we brush our teeth with little or no awareness of the skills involved.
Declarative knowledge involves “knowing that”, for example London is the capital of England, zebras are animals, your mums birthday etc. This links to our semantic and episodic LTM.
Recalling information from declarative memory involves some degree of conscious effort – information is consciously brought to mind and “declared”.
How is the procedural memory different to the others
Procedural is implicit, the other two are explicit and declarative.
How is procedural memory different to the others
Procedural memories are stored in the cerebellum, the others are stored in the hippocampus and other regions in the temporal lobe
How are episodic and semantic memories different
Episodic memories are usually time-stamped, semantic memories are not.
How are procedural and episodic memories similar
These types of memories are the least likely to decay.
How are semantic and episodic and semantic memories similar
These types of memories are both declarative and explicit.
How does HM prove there are different types of LTM
Since his surgery, he has been unable to create new long term memories of events, such as meeting new people.
However, his motor skills were still in tact. He could feed himself, get dressed etc. If he was taught a new task, such as tracing patterns whilst watching his hands through a mirror, he improved each time despite not being able to recall completing the task before.
Shows that procedural memories are separate
Evaluation, evidence
HM
Evaluation, evidence
Clive Wearing
