Types Of Long Term Memory*

Question 1

Endel Tulving (1985)

Answer 1

1st cog psychologists to realise the MSMs view of LTM was too simplistic.
Tulving proposed 3 stores containing different information:
• coding-semantically
• Capacity-unlimited
• Duration-can last a lifetime

Question 2

Episodic memory

Answer 2

• ability to recall events eg. psychology lesson or dentist.
• Firstly,Memories are timestamped-remember what happened and when they happened
• secondly ,your memory will include elements such as places, objects and behaviours.
• Third, you have to make a conscious effort to recall episodic memories. Are aware you are searching for this memory.

Question 3

Semantic memory

Answer 3

• contains shared knowledge of the world eg. What an orange taste like, concept of love
• Not timestamp, do not remember specifically when things happened
• less personal and more about facts, less likely to forget than episodic

Question 4

Procedural memory

Answer 4

• memory for actions or skills
• don’t need to make a conscious effort. May be hard to describe to someone else
• Driving, tying shoe laces

Question 5

Clinical evidence - one store can be affected

Answer 5

• case of HM and Clive wearing- episodic impaired due to brain damage however semantic memories were unaffected
• eg HM did not remember stroking a dog half an hour before but did not need a concept of a dog explained to him.
• Eg Clive could remember how to play the piano .
• Supports Tulvings view about their being different stores as one can be affected while the other is unaffected

Question 6

Counterpoint

Answer 6

• lack of control of variables.
• Researcher has no knowledge of the individuals memory before the damage, difficult to judge how much worse it is

Question 7

Conflicting neuroimaging evidence-sem

Answer 7

• Randy Buckner and Stephen Peterson- Semantic memory is located on the left and episodic on the right however other shows episodic is on the left.
• Shows their physically different stores
• challenges neuropsychological evidence as there is poor agreement on location.

Question 8

Real world application -distinguishing types enables treatment

Answer 8

• strength-and understanding allows treatment for those with memory problems
• As people age—> memory loss. Episodic as cannot recall personal events
• Sylvie Belleville- devised an intervention to improve elderly episodic memories. Trained to perform better on an episodic memory test after training a control group. Done with people with mild memory impairment
• Shows distinguishing types enables treatment