Types of LTM

Question 1

What are the 3 types of LTM?

Answer 1

Episodic, Semantic and Procedural

Question 2

What does episodic memory store?

Answer 2

Events (episodes) from our life

Question 3

How are episodic memories complex?

Answer 3

They are time-stamped, you remember when they happened and how they relate to time. They involve several elements (people, places, objects, behaviours etc)
You have to make a conscious effort to recall them.

Question 4

What does semantic memory store?

Answer 4

Our knowledge of the world. Its likened to an encyclopaedia and dictionary.

Question 5

What does the procedural memory store?

Answer 5

Memories for actions and skills. (how we do things)

Question 6

How does recall of procedural memory occur?

Answer 6

Without effort or awareness. They become automatic with practice.

Question 7

Strength of different LTM stores- case study evidence

Answer 7

studies of amnesia in HM and Clive Wearing showed both had difficulty recalling events in episodic memory, but their semantic memory was unaffected. Procedural memory was also intact. One store can be damaged but another unaffected.

Question 8

Counterpoint of case study support

Answer 8

Researchers lack control in clinical case studies as they dont know anything about the person’s memory before the brain damage.

Question 9

Limitation- conflicting findings about types of LTM and brain areas- Buckner and Petersen 1996. Tulving et al 1994.

Answer 9

B&P reviewed research and found that semantic memory is located in the left prefrontal cortex and episodic in the right prefrontal cortex. However, Tulving et al. found the opposite.