Types Of LTM Flashcards
What can LTM be divided into?
Hint - 2 catergories
Explicit and implicit memory
What is explicit memory?
Fact based memory that can be consciously retrieved
‘Knowing what’
Define implicit memory
Memories we are not consciously aware of.
‘Knowing how’
What can explicit memory be divided into?
Episodic memory and semantic memory
What is episodic memory?
3 points
Type of explicit memory
Memory for your personal experiences such as your first day at school
They have three details: emotion, context and details of the event
What is semantic memory?
What can they start off as?
Type of explicit memory
For information about the world that is not liked to particular personal events. So it is shared memories for facts and knowledge
Semantic memories may start off as episodic memory because we gain knowledge from personal experiences but over time the memory may loose its association with the event and become a semantic memory.
What is procedural memory?
Type of implicit memory
This is skills based memory eg knowing how to ride a bike
It is about remembering how to do something
Usual gained through repetition and practice
We are less aware of these memories because they have become automatic - they are implicit
A03 - supporting evidence from brain scans?
Hint- parts of the brain?
Research shows different parts of brain active when different types of LTM used
Episodic memory - hippocampus and temporal lobe
Semantic - temporal lobe
Procedural - motor cortex and cerebellum
A03 - supporting evidence from case studies of brain damaged patients
Hint - HM
He had an operation to reduce his epileptic fits which removed the hippocampus and destroyed part of his temporal lobe
Therefore could not form episodic or semantic memories but could form procedural memos
Could learn procedural skills but didn’t remember learning them e.g. mirror drawing
Error and time scores on mirror drawing task reduced after 3 days
First day 30 errors
Third day 1 error
A03 supporting evidence from case studies of brain damaged patients
Hint - Clive wearing
Suffered infection that damaged hippocampus and temporal lobe
After couldn’t remember episodes of his life
Could still play piano (procedural memo) as cerebellum still in tact
A03 criticism
Limitation of case study research method?
Each individual case study has unique characteristics so may not be able to generalise conclusions made about for example HM to rest of population
What two case studies suggest more than one type of LTM as explicit memories were damaged but procedural memories intact?
Clive wearing and HM
A03 strength - supporting evidence for distinction between episodic and semantic memories?
Hint - categories in explicit memory?
But??
Research has found some patients with Alzheimer’s disease can form new semantic memories but not episodic memories.
Suggests these two type of explicit memory are separate
BUT some say this isn’t enough evidence and that the reason for this is because episodic memories may place greater demands on mental processing which is why it is more affected by brain damage
