Types of Long-term memory

Question 1

Long-term memory

Answer 1

A memory of your past events that is divided into 3 main types: Episodic, semantic and procedural

Question 2

Episodic

Answer 2

Memories are about knowing that (declarative) and occur as part of a sequence. Episodic memories are concerned with personal experience of events and includes contextual details and emotional tone.

Question 3

Semantic memories

Answer 3

Are also about known that (declarative). Semantic memories are knowledge about the world which is shared by everyone, rather than personal ‘episodic’ experience

Question 4

Procedural memory

Answer 4

Concenred with skills, such as knowing how to tie a shoelace. Is is remembering how to do something, rather than knowing what to do

Question 5

An episodic memory example

Answer 5

Might be your memory of a family holiday. Episodic memories have three elements: details of the event, the context and the emotions felt.

Question 6

Give an example of semantic memories

Answer 6

Shared memories of facts and knowledge. Related to things, such as the function of objects, or what behaviours are appropriate in a particular situation. Eg. knowing that ice is made of water or mathematical knowledge.

Question 7

Give an example of procedural memories

Answer 7

Typicslly acquired through reptition and practice. We are less aware of these memories are automatic, for example riding a bike

Question 8

Support for the different types of LTM comes from brain scans

Answer 8

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 lobe, semantic memory relies on the temporal lobe and procedural is associated with the cerebellum

L: This suggests that the 3 types of LTM are seperate and found in different areas of the brain.

Question 9

Criticism of the research investigating LTM is the use of paitents with brain damage

Answer 9

E: It difficult to conclude from the case of amnesiacs, including HM, the exact parts of the brain that were affected until that patient has died.

E: Damage to partiular area of the brain does not mean that this area is responsible for a particular behaviour.

L: This shows that we are unable to conclude a cause-effect relationship between a particular brain region and type of LTM