types of long term memory

Question 1

who studies this and what did they propose

Answer 1

tulving (1985).

He proposed that there are 3 types of LTM stores

Question 2

what are the three types of Long Term memory stores?

Answer 2

episodic memory

semantic memory

procedural memory

Question 3

explain what episodic memory is

Answer 3

-refers to our ability to recall events.
-like a personal diary
-e.g. when you last went to the dentist.
-the memories are complex
- they are time stamped
- includes people, places, behaviour ect.
- you have to make a conscious effort to recall these memories

Question 4

explain what semantic memory is

Answer 4

• shared knowledge of the world
• encyclopaedia
• how to do things e.g. how to apply to uni.
• not time stamped
• less personal and more about facts we all share
• less vulnerable to distortion and forgetting than episodic memory.

Question 5

explain what procedural memory is

Answer 5

• actions and skills
• how to do things
• no conscious effort to recall them e.g. driving a car
• ability becomes automatic through practice
• hard to explain to someone else.

Question 6

evaluate types of long term memory

Answer 6

clinical evidence (strength)
- from case of Henry Molaison (HM) and Clive Wearing
- episodic memory in both men was severely impaired due to brain damage but semantic memories were relatively unaffected. Understood meaning of words
- procedural memories were intact CW knew how to play the piano
therefore supports Tulving’s view that there are different memory stores in LTM.
COUNTER- clinical studies are not perfect bc they lack control variables. Injuries were unexpected and coudn’t know how they were like before the accident so its hard to tell the difference.

Conflicting neuroimaging evidence (limitation)
- conflicting research findings linking types of LTM to areas of the brain
- Buckner and Petersen (1996) reviwed evidence regarding the location of semantic and episodic memory.
- semantic=left side of prefrontal cortex and episodic on right however Tulving et al. 1994stated that left prefrontal cortex was linked with encoding and episodic memories with the right prefrontal cortex with episodic retrieval
therefore challenges evidence

real world application (strength)
- allows psychologists to help people with memory problems like memory loss- specific to episodic memory
- Belleville et al. (2006) devised an intervention to improve episodic memories in older people. The trained participants performed better on a test of episodic memory after being trained than a control group showing that it helps treatments being developed.