Types of Long Term Memory Flashcards
Who proposed the three different types of memory?
Endel Tulving
What were the three types of memory identified by Tulving?
Tulving identified:
1) Episodic memory
2) Semantic memory
3) Procedural memory
What is episodic memory?
Episodic memory refers to our ability to recall event from our lives
What are three features of the episodic memory?
Episodic memory is time stamped, making you remember when they happen
Episodic memory includes several elements, like people, places, objects and behaviours
Episodic memory requires conscious effort to recall them
What is the semantic memory?
The semantic memory stores knowledge of the world, including facts but in the broadest sense.
What is a feature of the semantic memory?
The semantic memories are not time stamped
The semantic knowledge is less personal and more about the facts we all share
What is the procedural memory?
The procedural memory is our memory for actions/skills or how we do things.
What is one feature of the semantic memory?
Procedural memory can be recalled without conscious awareness or effort
What is a strength of Tulving’s view on the types of long term memory? (Clive Wearing + intact procedural memory)
The case studies of Clive Wearing provides support and strengthens Tulving’s view . This man was a musician who contracted a virus that attacked his hippocampus. He could remember his children from his earlier marriage, but not his first wife. However he still knew how to play piano. This showed his semantic and episodic memory were damages as he couldn’t remember where his children were and believed he had not seen them in forever. Wearing could still play the piano, which meant despite the damage in his episodic and semantic memory, his procedural memory was still intact. Therefore proving there are different types of long term memory but also demonstrates the different roles they play.
What is a limitation of Tulving’s view on the types of long term memory? (Cohen and Squire’s criticisms)
Tulving’s view is limited by Cohen and Squire’s criticisms. They accept that procedural memories represent one type of long term memory. However they argue that episodic and semantic memories are stored together in one long term memory store that they call declarative memory. Examples include memories that can be recalled consciously. In contrast procedural memories are non - comparative.
What are the strengths of Tulving’s views on the types of long term memory? (use of brain scans)
There is evidence from brain scans that different types of memory are stored in different parts of the brain. For example, Tulving et al carried out memory tests on his participants using a PET scanner. they found that the left prefrontal cortex was involved in recalling semantic memories and the right prefrontal cortex was involved in recalling episodic memories. Procedural memory was associated with the area of the brain called the motor area. There is physical reality to the different types of ltm within the brain
What is a strength of Tulving’s views on the types of long term memory? (HM case study)
A case study on HM, a man who lost his memory at 27, after suffering from severe epileptic seizures had a neurosurgeon operate on him and remove his hippocampus. The operation was successful in reducing Henry’s seizures but left him with memory loss. HM’s case supported Tulving’s view as it suggests there are separate long term memory stores. His procedural memory remained intact because he could learn new drawing skills. However his semantic and episodic memory was damaged as he could no longer remember his age and recall events from his past
