types of long-term memory

Cards (12)

  • Episodic memory

    LTM store for personal events.
    Including memories of when the event occurred and of the people, objects, places and behaviours involved (e.g. first day at school)
  • Characteristics of episodic memories
    Declarative
    Time stamped - stored with reference to time and place.
    Recalled consciously, so explicit.
    Easiest memories to forget.
    Autobiographical.
    Level of emotion felt at the time influences the strength.
    First coding in the Prefrontal cortex. Stored across the brain connected by hippocampus.
  • Semantic memory

    LTM store for our knowledge of the world
    Including facts (e.g. capital of countries) and our knowledge of what words and concepts mean
  • Characteristics of semantic memories

    Declarative
    May not recall when learnt/encoded (not time stamped)
    Recalled consciously, so explicit.
    Not autobiographical
    Resistant to forgetting
    How deeply processed influences strength
    Parahippocampal cortex
  • Procedural memory

    LTM store for our knowledge of how to do things
    Including learned skills (e.g. tying our laces)
  • Characteristics of procedural memories

    Non-declarative
    Often learnt in childhood (not time stamped)
    Not recalled consciously, so performed implicitly.
    Not autobiographical
    Very resistant to forgetting
    How many times practiced influences strength
    Motor cortex and Cerebellum
  • Right prefrontal cortex
    Responsible for coordinating the retrieval of explicit memory for use in speech
  • Left prefrontal cortex
    Implicated in executive functions such as planning and decision making
  • + Supporting evidence from brain scans
    E - Tulving et al: Ps performed different memory task while brain-scanning.
    Findings: Episodic memory used the right pre-frontal cortex. Semantic memory used the left pre-frontal cortex. Procedural memory used the cerebellum.
    E - Shows there is physical evidence about the types of LTM.
    L - Therefore, this evidence increases the validity of the different types of LTM since it applies it to people.
  • + Supporting evidence from case studies
    E - HM: The destruction of his hippocampus affected his ability to form new LTMs. After surgery, he could still form new procedural memories, but not episodic or semantic memories.
    E - Shows there are different memory stores in LTM, as one can be damaged while the others are unaffected.
    L - However, research from case studies is difficult to generalise from one case to other settings.
  • / There may only be two types of LTM

    E - Cohen and Squire: They argue that episodic and semantic memories are stored together, in one store, called declarative memory.
    E - This is because episodic and semantic memories are both declarative, and episodic become semantic over time.
    L - Therefore, the different types of LTM may be too complicated and can simply be two types.
  • + Real-life application of different LTM stores

    E - Belleville et al: found that episodic memories can be improved in older people with cognitive impairments.
    E - This shows how psychologists focusing on different memory allows improvement for people's lives.
    L - Therefore, this highlights a benefit of distinguishing between types of LTM as it can lead to the development of outstanding treatments.