LTM Types

• Long-term memory types:

  there are 3 different types of long-term memory;

  • episodic memories
  • semantic memories
  • procedural memories
• Episodic memories:

  • these are memories of personal events
  • examples would include remembering your first day at high school or remembering your first kiss
  • they are conscious memories
  • they are not very resistant to forgetting (its easy to forget a lot of the details)
  • they are time-stamped (you remember how old you were when it happened or what time of year it was)
• Semantic memories:

  • these are memories which are fact-based
  • examples would include knowing the capital city of a country of knowing who the King is
  • they are conscious memories
  • they are not very resistant to forgetting without revision (hard to remember lots of different facts)
  • they aren't time-stamped (do not tend to remember when they were formed)
• Procedural memories:

  • these are memories for actions
  • examples would include remembering how to tie your shoelaces or learning how to ride a bike
  • they are unconscious memories
  • they are very resistant to forgetting (they aren't easily forgotten)
  • they don't tend to be time-stamped (you don't remember the first time you did it without assistance)
• Comparison of LTM types:

  • episodic and sematic (time-stamped) - episodic is time-stamped whereas semantic is not time-stamped
  • episodic and procedural (conscious or unconscious) - episodic is conscious whereas procedural is unconscious
  • sematic and procedural (resistance to forgetting) - semantic is not resistant to forgetting whereas procedural is very resistant to forgetting
• Evaluation of LTM types:

  S - evidence that episodic and procedural are separate - H.M.'s mirror drawing

  S - evidence that episodic and semantic are separate - Tulving's brain-scanning study
• Evidence that episodic and procedural are separate - H.M.'s mirror drawing (identify):

  • there is evidence for separate episodic and procedural memories from the H.M. case study
• Evidence that episodic and procedural are separate - H.M.'s mirror drawing (explain):

  • following the removal of H.M.'s hippocampus he could no longer form new episodic LTM (personal memories)
  • however, he could form new procedural memories (such as mirror-drawing skills)
• Evidence that episodic and procedural are separate - H.M.'s mirror drawing (conclusion):

  • this is important as it suggests that there must be two separate stores for episodic and procedural long-term memory
• Tulving's brain-scanning experiment:

  • Tulving scanned the brains of participants when carrying out retrieval of semantic and episodic memories
  • it was found that the recall of semantic memories involved the left prefrontal cortex and the recall of episodic memories involved the use of the right prefrontal cortex
• Evidence that episodic and semantic are separate - Tulving's brain-scanning study (identify):

  • there is evidence to suggest there are separate episodic and semantic memories from the Tulving PET scan study
• Evidence that episodic and semantic are separate - Tulving's brain-scanning study (explain):

  • Tulving scanned the brains of participants when carrying out retrieval of semantic and episodic memories
  • it was found that the recall of semantic memories involved the left prefrontal cortex and the recall of episodic memories involved the use of the right prefrontal cortex
• Evidence that episodic and semantic are separate - Tulving's brain-scanning study (conclusion):

  • this is important as it suggests that there must be two separate stores for episodic and semantic long-term memories