LTM

• What are the three types of LTM? Which ones are implicit and which ones are explicit?

  • Episodic (explicit)
  • Semantic (explicit)
  • Procedural (implicit)
• Two positive points for existence of different types of LTM?

  • 😊evidence from brain scans- different types of LTM associated with different parts of the brain. Episodic- hippocampus, semantic- temporal lobe, procedural- cerebellum- each memory is separate
  • 😊Alzheimer’s disease provides evidence- Semantic memories can be formed but not episodic (personal) ones. This is single dissociation (separation of two abilities) and indicates episodic memories and semantic ones are separate
• Two disadvantages of types of LTM?

  • ☹️Evidence for fourth type of LTM- priming describes how implicit memories influence the responses a person makes to a stimulus because the answers are automatic and unconscious. For example, if someone given word list with the word yellow and later asked to name a fruit, there's a higher chance they'll name banana than any other fruit. Suggested that perceptual representation system exists, so the original theory of LTM may be simplistic
  • ☹️problems studying patients with brain damage- difficult to be certain of the exact parts of the brain damaged until person has died, struggle to identify causal rel between brain region and type of LTM- can’t tell exactly what causes damage. Case studies can't be generalised, and ethical issues
• Describe the aspects of semantic, procedural and episodic memory

  • episodic- knowing that, personal memories, personal events/experiences and the context surrounding them, specific emotions felt during that time
  • semantic- general knowledge, principles shared by the world, less personal, customs, language or abstract concepts. Gradual transition from episodic to semantic memories, memory loses its association to particular events and becomes more general
  • procedural- muscle memory, acquired through repetition and practise, automatic and doesn't require thinking, thinking can distract one from carrying it out. Because they are automatic we can focus attention onto other important every-day tasks