Types of Long Term Memory

• Types of LTM A01 - 2 main types

  Explicit and Implicit - knowing that and knowing how.
• Types of LTM A01 - Episodic memory

  · Knowing that, events occurring as part of a large sequence – concerned with personal experiences, recalling context (who was there or the place), and emotions e.g. first day at school.
• Types of LTM A01 - Semantic memory

  · Knowing that but through the knowledge of the world shared by everyone – can relate to functions of objects, maths or language e.g. 2+2=4 – begin as episodic memories as they are acquired through events.
• Types of LTM A01 - Procedural memory

  · Concerned with skills e.g. tying a shoelace – remembering how to do something through repetition and practice – not aware of the memory, if thought about too much it prevents you from acting it out disrupting the automatic procedure e.g. thinking about riding a bike.
• Types of LTM A03 - Evidence from brain scans

  · Different parts of the brain are active when LTM is active – supports the three types of memory.

  · Episodic – hippocampus – all memories are linked by the hippocampus to form episodes.

  · Sematic – relies on temporal lobe.

  · Procedural – cerebellum, control of motor skills as well as motor cortex.
• Types of LTM A03 - Distinguishing between procedural and declarative memories

  · Study of HM.

  · Destruction of hippocampus – could not form new LTM but could retain pre existing LTMs.

  · After surgery, could form procedural memories but not episodic or semantic e.g. can draw a figure from his reflection (motor skill) - could not later remember he learnt this.
• Types of LTM A03 - Distinguishing between episodic and semantic memories

  · Hodges and Patterson (2007) – patients with Alzheimer’s.

  · Could form episodic memories but not semantic – causes a dissociation between these two types of memory.

  Supports that it is possible to form semantic memories independently – without using episodic as a gateway.