Types of LTM Flashcards
What are the 3 types of long-term memory?
Episodic, semantic and procedural
Who proposed that there were 3 types of LTM?
Tulving
What is episodic memory?
Refers to our ability to recall events from our lives. E.G = the breakfast you ate that morning
Are episodic memories ‘time-stamped’?
Yes
What 4 elements will an episodic memory include?
People, places, objects and behaviours
Do you have to make a conscious effort to recall episodic memories?
Yes
What is a semantic memory?
Our shared knowledge of the world
Are semantic memories ‘time-stamped’?
No
What does Tulving say about Semantic memories?
That it is less vulnerable to distortion and forgetting than episodic memories
What are procedural memories?
Our memory for actions, skills and how we do things
Do we recall procedural memories unconsciously?
Yes
One strength is evidence from the studies of HM and Clive Wearing. - Explain this point
- Their episodic memory was damaged however their semantic memories were quite unaffected.
- E.G = HM could not recall stroking a dog half an hour before but didn’t need the concept of a ‘dog’ explained.
- Their procedural memory was unaffected - they could still walk and talk.
One limitation is that there are conflicting research findings linking types of LTM to areas of the brain. - Explain this point
- Buckner and Petersen reviewed evidence about the location of semantic and episodic memory.
- They concluded that semantic is on the left side of the pre-frontal cortex and episodic is on the right.
- However, other research contradicts this.
