Types of long-term memory Flashcards
What is episodic memory?
A long term memory store for personal events. It includes memories of when the events occurred and of the people, objects, places and behaviours involved. Memories from this store have to be retrieved consciously and with effort.
What is semantic memory?
A long term memory store for our knowledge of the world. This includes facts and our knowledge of what words and concepts mean. These memories usually also need to be recalled deliberately.
What is procedural memory?
A long term memory store for our knowledge of how to do things. This includes our memories of learned skills. We usually recall these memories without making a conscious or deliberate effort.
What did Tulving realise about the multi store models view of long term memory?
It was too simplistic and inflexible
What are the three types of long term memory which Tulving proposed?
Episodic, semantic, procedural
What is a strength of the theory of many types of long term memory?
There is clinical evidence from famous case studies of HM and Clive Wearing
Episodic memory in both men was severely impaired due to brain damage but semantic memories were relatively unaffected.
This supports Tulvings view that there are multiple memory stores in LTM
What is a limitation of the theory of many types of long term memory?
There are conflicting research findings linking types of LTM to areas of the brain
Buckner and Peterson believed that semantic memory is located on the left side of the prefrontal cortex however other research links the right side of the prefrontal cortex with semantic memory
This challenges any neurophysiological evidence to support types of memory
What is the real life application of types of long term memory?
Being able to identify different aspects of LTM allows psychologists to target certain kinds of memory in order to better people’s lives. Bellville et al. (2006) demonstrated that episodic memories could be improves in older people who had a mild cognitive impairment. The trained participants performed better on a test of episodic memory after training than a control group.
Episodic memory is the type of memory most often affected by mild cognitive impairment, which highlights the benefit of being able to distinguish between types of LTM- because it enables specific treatments to be developed.
