types of long term memory

• semantic memory


  • made up of our knowledge of the world
  • can imagine hypothetical situations - what zombies like for dinner, what it is like to be in love, how to write a CV
  • knowledge is arranged hierarchically - we make connections between all the information that we have
  • not time stamped
  • not as personal as episodic
  • vast
• episodic memory 


  • related to a specific time and place
  • autobiographical - memories about specific life events
  • flashbulb - detailed and vivid memories about an event
  • can often be minor details or exciting news
  • time stamped
  • requires conscious effort to recall
• procedural memory


  • knowledge about how to do things and skills
  • once you have aquired a skill you dont have to think about how to do it and it is hard to describe to someone else- knowledge is implicit
• clive wearing and HM


  • both suffered brain damage to their hippocampus and have memory deficits
  • their hippocampus are responsible for episodic memories
  • their cerebellum were unaffected which is responsible for creating procedural memories (can still play piano)
  • shows there are different sub sections within the LTM
• where types of LTM are stored in the brain

  • semantic - left pre frontal cortex
  • episodic - right pre frontal cortex
  • procedural - cerebellum and basal ganglia
• why are using brain scans a strength ?

  • biological evidence - observable, measurable, replicable
  • a physical reality confirmed many times - valid and reliable
  • shows that LTMs activate different areas of the brain
• belleville 2006


  • episodic memories can be improved in older people who had a mild cognitive impairment. the trained participants did better on a test of episodic memory after training than a control group
  • shows distinguishing between types of LTM enable specific treatments to be developed for impairments and better peoples lives
• differences between types of LTM

  • procedural memories are very difficult to describe to someone else (steps involved of how to drive a car)
  • episodic memories are straightforward to describe to someone else (what you did christmas day 2018)
• differences between types of LTM

  • episodic memories - very personal to the person, about their life
  • semantic memories - not as personal, made up of knowledge around the world
• differences between the types of LTM

  • episodic memories - related to a specific time and place
  • semantic memories - not time stamped, arranged hierarchically
• differences between the types of LTM

  • episodic memories - require conscious effort to recall
  • procedural memories - are automatic and you dont have to think about how to do them