Types Of LTM Flashcards
Episodic memory
Store for life events -
Like a ‘diary’ for our daily lives - entails memories that have occurred in our own lives exclusively.
Episodic memories are complex:
Time-stamped - we have knowledge of the temporal context of episodic memory
Involve elements such as people, places, objects etc.
Episodic memories require conscious recall
Semantic memory
Store for our knowledge of the world
Like an encyclopaedia - stores objective knowledge like facts and information and how things work
Not time-stamped - less personal more about knowledge that is true to everyone
Procedural memory
Store for memories of actions and skills
Memories for how we do things such as write, play instruments, or ride a bike
Unconscious recall - occurs with no awareness or effort
This is why it is difficult to outline exactly HOW to perform behaviours such as those listed above - we just know
✅AO3- separation of LTM stores supported by case studies
HM and Clive Wearing-
Both amnesia patients that had difficulty recalling episodic memories.
Semantic memories remained relatively unaffected e.g HM didn’t remember petting s dog earlier in the day, but he was aware of what a dog was.
Supports separate stores as one can be damaged and others left unaffected
✅AO3- brain scan studies show separate stores
Tulving et al (1994)
Pts performed various memory tasks while their brains were scanned with a PET scanner.
During recall for episodic and semantic memories, activity for episodic was in the right prefrontal cortex, whilst semantic was in the left.
Shows that the physical stores for different LTM types are discernibly separate in the brain.
✅ - identifying separate stores has real-world applications
Separation of the stores means psychologists can target and improve certain aspects of people’s memories.
Belleville et al (2006)
Improved episodic memory of older people with mild cognitive impairments in comparison to a control group through training.
Strength of separate LTM stores as it allows for separate and specific treatments to be developed and help the real world.
❌issues with clinical evidence
Case studies such as HM and Clive Wearing form the basis for much evidence.
Cases studies such as this lack control of variables such as exact location of brain damage or personality variables.
Issues generalising from these case studies to determine the exact nature of the LTM.
