Types of Long-ter memory Flashcards
Long-term memory
A memory of your past events that is divided into main types: Explicit (declarative - knowing that) and implicity (procedural knowing how) memory
Episodic
Memories are about knowing that (declarative) and occur aas part of a sequence. Episodic memories are concerned with personal experience
Semantic memories
Are also about known that (declarative). Semantic memories are knowledge about the world which is shared by everyone, rather than personal ‘episodic’ experience
Procedural memory
Concenred with skills, such as knowing how to tie a shoelace. Is is remembering how to do something, rather than knowing what to do
An episodic memory example
Might be your memory of a family holiday. Episodic memories have three elements: details of the event, the context and the emotions felt.
Give an example of semantic memories
Related to things, such as the function of objects, or what behaviours is appropriate in a particular situation. They may also be related to abstract concepts such as math and language
Give an example of procedural memories
Typicslly acquired through reptition and practice. We are less aware of these memories are automatic, for example riding a bike
AO3
Support for the different types of LTM comes from brain scans
E: Research shows that different areas of the brain are active when using different types of LTM
E: Episodic memory is associated with the hippocampus and temproal love, semantic memory relies on the temporal lobe and procedural is associated with the cerebellum
L: This suggests that the 3 types of LTM are sepearte and foind in different areas of the brain.
Criticism of the research investigating LTM is the use of paitents with brain damage
E: It difficult to conclude from the case of paitent HM the exact parts of the brain that were affected.
E: Damage to partiular area of the brain does not mean that this area is responsible for a particular behaviour.
L: This shows that were are unable to conclude a casual relationship between a particular brain region and type of LTM