2 Memory- Types of Long Term Memory Flashcards
(21 cards)
who proposed the types of LTM?
Tulving (1972)
what are the three types of LTM?
procedural
semantic
episodic
what is the difference between declarative and non-declarative LTM?
declarative- available for conscious inspection and recollection
non-declarative- does not involve conscious thought and is automatic
what are the two types of declarative LTM?
semantic and episodic
what is the one type of non-declarative LTM?
procedural memory
what is episodic memory responsible for?
storing information about events (episodes) that we have experienced in our lives. linked to time and place they occurred
e.g. what I wore to prom
is episodic memory time stamped?
yes, you remember when/ where you were
describe forgetting in episodic memory
episodes are likely to be forgotten as they become jumbled in our memory
where is episodic memory focused in the brain?
hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex
what is semantic memory responsible for?
storing information about the world, including knowledge about the meaning of words, as well as general knowledge
e.g. London is the capital of England
is semantic memory time stamped?
no, you don’t remember when you learnt the memory or where
describe forgetting in semantic memory
it is more likely to be forgotten than non-declarative memory, but less likely to become jumbled
where is semantic memory focused in the brain?
hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex
what is procedural memory responsible for?
for knowing how to do things, like memory of motor skills and how to do something (require little conscious thought, automatic memory)
e.g. how to walk or ride a bike
describe forgetting in procedural memory
more resistant type, less likely to forget
is there any research evidence for forgetting in procedural memory?
Clive Wearing case study- he is still able to play the piano using his procedural memory, despite not having a short term memory, and forgetting his conversations.
A03 types of LTM
supporting study (Clive Wearing)
Clive suffered damage to his LTM which meant his memory was impaired, however he was still able to play his piano using his procedural memory (not episodic)
-supports the fact that LTM has multiple stores and procedural memory is automatic
A03 types of LTM
supporting study (case of HM)
he suffered a brain deficit, researcher Milner found that he could retain a skill after practicing it a lot, using procedural memory. however, he had no conscious memory of doing it, requiring episodic memory
A03 types of LTM
opposing idea (generalisability)
this research model lacks generalisability to the wider population, impacting its validity
-the case studies used to evidence the theory are not typical brains and only very unique cases with cognitive impairments (rare case)
A03 types of LTM
useful practical applications
episodic memories are most susceptible to a loss of detail, EWT can therefore be unreliable as memories can be distorted, additionally context cues have been found to be encoded at the same time
-therefore, this can be used to inform police and courts that EWT is unreliable and context cues can help trigger the memory of an event
A03 types of LTM
+ (stores are not as distinct as the model suggests)
it can be argued that the stores of semantic and episodic memory may rely on each other, for example you may remember a previous experience, while relying on existing general knowledge to trigger a memory.
-therefore, they might not be as separate as this suggests, and should be viewed as complementary instead.
