2. Long Term Memory Flashcards
(23 cards)
Why aren’t psychologists surprised that LTM may have different stores?
- Due to the vast amount of info that humans can remember
What did Tulving realise and propose?
- That the MSM view of LTM too simplistic & inflexible
- Proposed that have 3 separate stores within lTM that contain diff types of info
What is episodic memory?
Personal events from our lives and our ability to recall them
What will a single episodic memory include?
- Specific details (time, location, who involved, etc…)
- Context of event (why, what happened before/after)
- Associated emotions
Are episodic memories time-stamped?
- YES
- Dependent on time and spatial referencing
What is the input format of episodic memories?
- continuous
How do we retrieve episodic memories?
- Retrieval uses cues & context which are encoded at the point of learning
What are episodic memories susceptible to?
- Forgetting: susceptible to transformations from schema
- Eg: leading questions, post event discussions (RECONSTRUCTIVE)
What does episodic memory also give us?
- Autonomic consciousnesss (ability to mentally place yourself in the past/ future)
What are semantic memories?
- Our basic knowledge of the world which is shared by everyone
Are semantic memories time-stamped?
- NO
- Independent of time and spatial referencing
What is the input format of semantic memories?
- fragmented (2 facts can be learnt separately before being joined together)
How are semantic memories retrieved?
- not dependent on context to aid recall
- possible without learning, based on inferences, generalisations and rationality
What is procedural memory?
- Memory of skills, actions (ie: knowing how to do things)
- Muscle memories
How are procedural memories retrieved?
- Without conscious awareness or effort
- Often become automatic as we do these actions without thinking
- Therefore often difficult to describe
Supporting evidence (HM)
+ HM had difficulty recalling episodic memories but his semantic memories were intact after a surgery to cure his epilepsy via removing the hippocampus
+ HM could retained procedural memories
+ After surgery, could still form new procedural memories but NOT episodic or semantic memories
+ Learnt how to do things (procedural) but had no memory that he has learned it (episodic/semantic)
Supporting evidence (Tulving)
+ Evidence from brain scans support Tulving’s view that there are different memory stores in the LTM
+ Tulving et al (1994) asked participants to perform various memory tasks while their brains were scanned using a PET scanner. - Found that episodic and semantic memories were both recalled from prefrontal cortex, one on each hemisphere of the brain
+ Left prefrontal cortex recalled semantic memories
+ Right prefrontal cortex recalled episodic memories
+ Adds to the internal validity of Tulving’s explanation because provides objective and empirical/scientific evidence
+ demonstrates physical reality to diff types of LTM, meaning concept surpasses a basic theoretical concept
Supporting evidence (ostergaard)
+ Ostergaard (1987) supports the different stores because a 10 year old boy with brain damage from an anoxic episode.
+ Anoxic brain injuries (none): after about four minutes of oxygen deprivation, brain cells die
+ Hypoxic brain injuries: restriction in the oxygen supply to brain = gradual death and impairment of brain cells
+ Could make educational progress and was able to store semantic memory but not episodic memory
Credibility
- Problems with using case studies of individuals with brain injuries
- Because each case is unique therefore each individual may have responded differently to brain damage, resulting in a range of cognitive impairments
- Therefore difficult to generalise findings of patients to explain how memory works for wider population
Other explanations (Cohen and Squire)
- Cohen and Squire believe semantic and episodic memories in one separate LTM store (declarative store) which can be consciously recalled upon
- Procedural in a separate store, storing automatic, non-declarative memories
- Questions validity of Tulving’s explanation of LTM as contradictory evidence suggesting memory more likely divided on if need to put in conscious effort for recall
- Therefore may be more applicable that 2 stores exist rather than 3
Other explanations
- Problem: declarative memory systems work very closely together and perhaps more interrelated
- Tulving came to view episodic memory as specialised sub-category of semantic
- Because amnesiacs showed possible to have semantic but no episodic but no evidence for reverse
- Could claim participants who make ‘informed guess’ during episodic memory recall experiments using semantic memory
- Shows relationship between types of LTM more complex than originally believed
Debates
- Researchers should be aware that issues may arise from studying disorders (eg: Alzheimer’s Disease) and memory deficits
- Due to socially sensitive nature
- And potential to create a negative perception of them (burden on a helpless facility)
- Threatening the dignity of people
+ Development of psychology over type: Not only did Tulving revise his won theory, his theory built on MSM ideas which were viewed as too reductionist
Application
+ Belleville et al (2006) demonstrated episodic memories could be improved through training in older people with mild cognitive impairments
+ Trained participants performed better on a test of episodic memory after training than a control group
+ Eyewitness testimony: Tulving stated episodic memories rely on cues attached at time of encoding
+ To gain more accurate eyewitness testimony, police should try accessing cues
+ Led to the Cognitive Interview (CI) techniques of contextual reinstatement and report everything
+ Successful application of CI in gaining EWT suggests Tulving’s LTM theory has some pragmatic validity
