Types of LTM

• Episodic memory

  • our ability to recall events from our lives
  • time stamped - you remember when they happened
  • memories of a single episode will include several elements (people, places, objects and behaviours) - all of them are interwoven to produce a single memory
  • you make a conscious effort to recall episodic memories - you may be able to do so quickly but you are still aware that you are searching for a memory
• Semantic memory

  • contains facts and our knowledge of the world
  • likened to a combination of an encyclopaedia and a dictionary
  • remembers meanings of words + concepts
  • not time stamped memories
  • less personal and more about facts we all share
  • contains material which is constantly being added to
• Procedural memory

  • memory for actions or skills
  • we can recall these memories without conscious awareness or effort
  • eg: driving a car
  • we might find it hard to explain these skills to someone else and if you try to then the task may become more difficult