Types of LTM

• Tulving (1985) proposed 3 types of 3 types of memory: episodic, semantic, and procedural.
• Episodic memory


  • stores our personal experiences and events, including the times and places in which they occured
  • declarative (involves conscious recall)
  • time-stamped
  • e.g your first day at school
• Semantic memory


  • stores our meanings and general knowledge about the world such as facts or concepts
  • declarative
  • not time-stamped
  • e.g. where the Eiffel tower is
• Procedural memory


  • stories memories for actions and skills
  • not declarative
  • not time-stamped
  • these skills/actions become automatic with practice
  • e.g driving a car
• strength- supporting evidence (CW)


  • Clive Wearing contracted herpes simplex, a virus that damaged his brain
  • he lost his episodic memory e.g he had difficulty in recalling his past events like remembering his wedding day
  • semantic + procedural memory remained intact e.g he could sto physically walk and play the piano
  • supports view that LTM composed of different stores as one damaged store had no affect on the other stores
• strength- research into LTM uses nomothetic methods 


  • e.g use of brain imaging techniques are objective and reliable
  • Klimesch (1999) had patients carry out a task associated with semantic memory then one with episodic during an EEG scan
  • this provided neurophysiological evidence suggesting that different brainwave patterns are associated with different memory processes
  • supports concept of LTM being a multi-store
• strength- practical applications (belleville 2006)


  • increased understanding in different types of LTM led to programmes developed to help improve these memories
  • Belleville et al (2006) found that pps who received a programme to improve their episodic memory performed better on a memory test than the CG who didnt get the programme
  • strengthens value of theory + positive contributions in society
• limitation- research into LTM based on case studies

  • e.g case of Clive Wearing, a brain damaged man who contracted a viral infection
  • this idiographic approach means that it is difficult to control variables as we are uncertain of what his brain looked like before he contracted herpes
  • this makes the findings specific to CW and may lack universality as case studies cant be generalised to wider populations