Types Of LTM

Question 1

Who proposed this theory

Answer 1

Tulving et al (1985)

Question 2

What are the 3 types of LM that Tulving proposed

Answer 2

-Episodic
-Semantic
-Procedural

Question 3

Is episodic memory explicit memory or implicit

Answer 3

Explicit

Question 4

Is semantic memory explicit or implicit

Answer 4

Explicit

Question 5

Is procedural memory explicit or implicit

Answer 5

Implicit

Question 6

Meaning of explicit

Answer 6

-They require a conscious effort to recall

Question 7

Meaning of implicit

Answer 7

-Do not require a conscious effort to recall

Question 8

What is episodic memory

Answer 8

-Memories involving personal experiences/ events from your life

Question 9

Are episodic memories ‘time stamped’

Answer 9

-Yes, they include details about when and where the event occurred.

Question 10

Example of episodic memory

Answer 10

-Remembering your first day of school, a family holiday or a birthday party

Question 11

Areas of the brain associated with episodic memory

Answer 11

-The hippocampus and other areas of the brain such as the prefrontal cortex

Question 12

What is semantic memory

Answer 12

-Knowledge of facts, concepts and meanings (factual information)

Question 13

Is semantic memory time stamped?

Answer 13

NO

Question 14

Example of semantic memory

Answer 14

-Knowing that London is the capital of England

Question 15

Areas of the brain associated with the semantic memory

Answer 15

-The temporal lobe

Question 16

What is procedural memory

Answer 16

-Memory of skills and actions (how to carry out an action)
-They enable us to perform tasks automatically free sufficient practise

Question 17

Example of procedural memory

Answer 17

-Knowing how to ride a bike, drive a car etc

Question 18

How does Clive Wearing’s case support this theory

Answer 18

-Suffered from amnesia that was caused by a viral infection. His episodic memory was impaired, however his procedural memory was intact (E.G he could still play the piano)

Question 19

Areas of the brain associated with procedural memory

Answer 19

-Has been linked to areas such as the cerebellum and the motor cortex (no actual evidence/ research)

Question 20

How does HM’s case support the theory (Scoville and Milner)

Answer 20

-After the removal of his hippocampus to remove his epilepsy, HM lost the ability to form new episodic and semantic memories, though his procedural memory remained intact. (E.G he could learn new motor skills like mirror drawing, but had not memory of learning it)

Question 21

Strength of case studies (HM and CW) in supporting the theory

Answer 21

-Demonstrate that procedural, episodic and semantic memory are stored in different areas of the brain, providing real life support for Tulving’s theory of separate LTM stores

Question 22

Limitation of case studies (HM and CW) in supporting the theory

Answer 22

-Case studies often lack generalisability. Patients like HM and Clive had unique injuries and may not represent typical memory processes. Additionally, the brain damage often affects multiple areas, making it difficult to establish cause and effect.

Question 23

How does neuroimaging evidence by Tulving support this theory

Answer 23

-In Tulving’s study, participants were asked to perform tasks involving episodic and semantic memory while undergoing PET scans. He found that episodic tasks activated the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, while semantic tasks activated the temporal lobe.

-Further research has found linked procedural memory to the cerebellum and motor cortex as these areas are involved in motor skills and actions

Question 24

Strength of neuroimaging evidence in supporting the theory

Answer 24

-Neuroimaging provides scientific, objective evidence for the physical reality of distinct LTM types, supporting Tulving’s theory. These methods allow researchers to link specific areas of the brain to different types of memory.

Question 25

Limitations of neuroimaging evidence in supporting the theory

Answer 25

-Brain scanning studies are correlational as while they do show which areas are activated during tasks, they do not establish causation. E.G activity in the hippocampus during an episodic memory task does not prove that it exclusively controls episodic memory

Question 26

Limitation of the theory

Answer 26

-LTM types may not be as distinct as Tulving suggested.

Question 27

Evidence that the theory isn’t as simple as Tulving suggested (limitation)

Answer 27

-Research shows that patients with amnesia often show varying degrees of impairment across memory types. E.G semantic memory can be preserved while episodic memory is lost, but some research suggests these memories interact more than Tulving suggested -E.G Cohen and Squire suggested a simpler distinction between declarative memory, which includes semantic and episodic memory, and non declarative memory, consisting of procedural memory. This challenges the idea that episodic and semantic memory are entirely independent . E.G The interaction of episodic and semantic memory is supported by real life examples where personal experiences often influence factual knowledge (E.G holiday to a country= learn facts)

Question 28

Strengths of the challenges to this theory

Answer 28

-Criticisms of the theory highlight the complexity of memory, encouraging for further refinement of models like Tulving’s.

Question 29

Limitation of challenges to the theory

Answer 29

-While alternative models may simplify LTM, they do not fully explain distinctions such as procedural memory’s independence from episodic and semantic memory.