Types of LTM

Question 1

types of LTM

Answer 1

• episodic
• semantic
• procedural

Question 2

episodic memory

Answer 2

• memory for events
• stored in hippocampus
• has 3 elements:
• specific details of the event
• context of the event
• emotions felt at the time

Question 3

semantic memory

Answer 3

• memory for facts + general knowledge about the world
• functions of an object, appropriate behaviour in a context, abstract concepts e.g. maths + language
• stored in temporal lobe
• begin as episodic memories then gradually transition into semantic when memory slowly loses its association to particular events = generalised

Question 4

procedural memory

Answer 4

• concerned w/ motor skills + actions
• aka muscle memory
• stored in cerebellum
• acquired through practice + repetition
• more resistant to forgetting/ amnesia than other types of LTM
• they are automatic = important so we can focus our attention on other tasks
• not available for conscious inspection

Question 5

ads of types of LTM

Answer 5

• amnesia patients
• brains scans
• case studies

Question 6

disad of LTM

Answer 6

• research into the different types of LTM have been typically conducted on individual patients (e.g. Clive Wearing + HM)
• case studies are highly detailed + provide lots of info
• BUT they’re isolated cases of one individual
  = can’t assume everyone’s LTM if formed in the same way
  = findings can’t be generalised to the wider population

Question 7

amnesia patients - ads of types of LTM

Answer 7

• evidence for the distinction between episodic/semantic + procedural memory has come from research on patients w/ amnesia
• typically patients w/ amnesia are unable to store new episodic or semantic memories
• BUT their procedural memory is largely unaffected

Question 8

brain scans - ads of types of LTM

Answer 8

• scientific evidence captured from brain scans support the view that there are different types of LTM
• e.g. when asking parts to recall different types of info, different areas of the brain are active on fMRI
• episodic memories are associated w/ the hippocampus
• semantic associated w/ temporal lobe
• procedural associated w/ cerebellum

Question 9

case studies - ads of types of LTM

Answer 9

• case studies of brain damaged patients offer support for the different types of LTM
• e.g. Clive Wearing is a man who suffered from a viral infection which damaged his hippocampus
• he has no episodic memory + cannot form any
• however his procedural memory is still intact