Tulving Long Term Memory Model Flashcards
What is the long term memory model?
Tulving proposed that LTM could be divided into episodic memory (remembered experiences) and semantic memory (remembered facts).
Tulving stated these stores differ in the following ways: nature of memory, time referencing, spatial referencing and retrieval
Nature of memory
episodic memory is of experiences and events that happen to a person (a mental diary of someone’s life), whereas semantic is a mental encyclopedia, storing words and facts.
Time referencing
episodic memories are linked to the time in which they occurred, they happen in chronological order, whereas semantic memories are detached from any temporal link, the order doesn’t matter so much with recall
Spatial referencing
episodic memory has been input in a continuous manner over one time frame. On the other hand, semantic memory is input in a fragmented way, with pieces of information learnt at different times and later pieced together.
Retrieval
recall of semantic memories is based on inferences, logical thought and generalisation. Whereas, episodic memories are dependent on the context in which the event was learned or experienced.
What is a strength of this model?
Episodic and semantic memory theory has supporting evidence from brain damage patients such as KF. KF could not make or recall episodic memories but could recall semantic facts and information following a motorbike accident. Therefore, demonstrating there are two separate stores in LTM as Tulving proposed.
What is a weakness of this model?
Other case studies such as that of HM and Clive Wearing, demonstrate a weakness of the model
In both of these cases they were unable to recall long term memories from episodic storage, however they were able to remember how to perform tasks, for example Clive Wearing could still play the piano.
Therefore, there must be a further long term store for remembering practiced skills.
