Types of long-term memory Flashcards
Explain the 2 main types of long-term memory.
Explicit - knowing that…
Implicit - knowing how…
What are the 3 types of long-term memory?
Episodic, semantic, procedural.
What are episodic memories?
Memories of personal experience e.g. first day at school and the associated emotions. Remember details of event, context and emotion.
What are semantic memories?
Knowledge and facts about the world e.g. London is England’s capital. Can be concrete (object’s function) or abstract (language).
How do semantic memories start?
As episodic memories. We learn through personal experiences. Learn how/where we learned something - deteriorates over time to leave purely semantic memory.
What are procedural memories?
Skills and how to do things e.g. riding a bike. Memories are implicit because they are automatic due to repetition & practice.
(AO3) What research evidence is there for the types of LTM?
HM case study. Removal of hippocampus. Could still form procedural but not episodic or semantic. Could learn how to draw something, but not remember that he had learnt it. Supports distinction between implicit & explicit.
(AO3) What is the issue with using this case study as research evidence?
Brain damage traumatic. Case studies are unique individuals. Very low population validity. Also, brain plasticity could explain his reccovery. Needs more generalisable evidence.
(AO3) Why may the original types of long term memory be over-simplistic?
Additional type of LTM. Priming describes influence of implicit memories on a person’s response to a stimulus. E.g. given list of words including yellow. Later more likely to choose banana as a fruit. Automatic & unconscious but controlled by separate brain system. Suggests a 4th type of LTM, original theory may be too simple.
