Types of Long Term Memory

• One of the earliest and most influential distinctions of long-term memory was proposed by Tulving (1972).  He proposed a distinction between episodic, semantic, and procedural memory.
• Procedural memory is a part of the implicit long-term memory responsible for knowing how to do things, i.e., a memory of motor skills. A part of long-term memory is responsible for knowing how to do things, i.e., the memory of motor skills.  It does not involve conscious (i.e., it’s unconscious-automatic) thought and is not declarative. For example, procedural memory would involve knowledge of how to ride a bicycle.
• Semantic memory is a part of the long-term memory responsible for storing information about the world.  This includes knowledge about the meaning of words, as well as general knowledge.

  For example, London is the capital of England. It involves conscious thought and is declarative.
• Episodic memory is a part of the long-term memory responsible for storing information about events (i.e., episodes) that we have experienced in our lives.

  It involves conscious thought and is declarative.  An example would be a memory of our 1st day at school.
• Cohen and Squire (1980) distinguished declarative knowledge from procedural knowledge. Procedural knowledge involves “knowing how” to do things. It includes skills such as “knowing how” to play the piano, ride a bike, tie your shoes, and other motor skills. It does not involve conscious thought (i.e., it’s unconscious-automatic).  For example, we brush our teeth with little or no awareness of the skills involved.
• Whereas declarative knowledge involves “knowing that”; for example, London is the capital of England etc.  Recalling information from declarative memory involves some degree of conscious effort – information is consciously brought to mind and “declared.” The knowledge that we hold in semantic and episodic memories focuses on “knowing that” something is the case (i.e., declarative).  For example, we might have a semantic memory for knowing that Paris is the capital of France, and we might have an episodic memory for knowing that we caught the bus to college today.
• AO3: Types of LTM

  Research on patients with amnesia has provided evidence for the distinction between declarative and procedural memory. Amnesic patients have great difficulty retaining episodic and semantic information following the onset of amnesia. Memory for events and knowledge acquired before the onset of the condition remains intact, but they can’t store new episodic or semantic memories. Their ability to retain declarative information is impaired. However, their procedural memory appears to be largely unaffected. They can recall skills they have already learned and acquire new skills.