Types of Long-term Memory

• Declarative memory 


  Memory of facts and events that can be consciously recalled or ‘declared’. It is therefore available for conscious inspection.
• Non-declarative memory 


  Memory that does not require a conscious effort to retrieve but is often unavailable for conscious inspection e.g. difficult to declare.
• Semantic Memory


  Memory for facts that we have learned throughout our lives. Semantic memories are typically not stored with reference to time and place. This means that you may not remember when and where you learned them.
• An example of semantic memory 


  knowing that London is the capital of

  England.
• What does brain scanning suggests on semantic memory?

  Brain scanning evidence suggests that semantic memories are stored in the hippocampus and recall of semantic memories involves the left prefrontal

  cortex.
• Episodic memory


  Memory for personal events that we have experienced throughout our lives. Episodic memories are stored with reference to time and place. This means that you remember when and where they happened.
• An example of an episodic memory


  An example of an episodic memory is remembering what you did on your 12th birthday party.
• What does brain scanning suggest for episodic memory?


  Brain scanning evidence suggests that episodic memories are stored in the hippocampus and recall of

  episodic memories involves the right prefrontal cortex.
• Procedural memory 


  Muscle-based memory for motor skills/actions. Unlike

  episodic and semantic memories that require conscious

  effort to retrieve, procedural memories can be recalled

  without conscious awareness or a great deal of effort.

  For example, an experienced driver will often change

  gears without consciously thinking about it. However,

  procedural memories are more difficult to verbally

  explain than episodic and semantic memories (e.g.

  explaining how to ride a bike). Procedural memories

  are also more resistant to forgetting than episodic and

  semantic memories.
• An example of a procedural memory 


  An example of a procedural memory is knowing how to

  ride a bike.
• what does Brain scanning evidence suggest for procedural memory


  Brain scanning evidence suggests that procedural

  memories are stored in the cerebellum.
• What type of memory was impaired in Clive Wearing?

  Episodic memory
• How did Clive Wearing react when he saw his wife?

  He greeted her joyously, believing he had not seen her for years
• What did Clive Wearing remember about his wife despite his memory impairment?

  He remembered she was his wife
• What ability did Clive Wearing retain despite his memory issues?

  He could still play the piano
• What does Clive Wearing's case support regarding long-term memory (LTM)?

  • Selective impairment of episodic memory
  • Intact semantic and procedural memory
  • Supports the idea of different types of LTM
  • Adds validity to research on episodic, semantic, and procedural memories
• What type of evidence supports the research into different types of LTM?

  Neuroimaging evidence
• Who conducted a study involving neuroimaging and memory tasks in 1994?

  Tulving et al.
• What did Tulving et al. find regarding the recall of episodic and semantic memories?

  Both were recalled from the prefrontal cortex
• Which part of the prefrontal cortex is involved in recalling semantic memories?

  The left prefrontal cortex
• Which part of the prefrontal cortex is involved in recalling episodic memories?

  The right prefrontal cortex
• Where are procedural memories more associated with in the brain?

  The cerebellum
• What are the strengths of research into different types of long-term memory (LTM)?

  • Supported by clinical case studies (e.g., Clive Wearing)
  • Supported by neuroimaging evidence (e.g., Tulving et al.)
  • Demonstrates different LTM stores occupy different brain areas
  • Adds validity to the classification of LTM types