Long term memory Flashcards
(15 cards)
What are the two types of long term memory (LTM)?
- procedural
- declarative
What are procedural and declarative memory also known as?
- procedural = implicit
- declarative = explict
What is procedural memory and how is memory retrieved?
- memory for how to do things
- retrieval of memory is unconscious
Give an example of procedural memory?
- Knowing how to tie shoelaces
- Linked with skills
What is declarative memory?
- memory for knowing things
What are the two types of declarative (explicit) memory?
- episodic
- semantic
What is episodic memory?
- memory for personal events
- also remember context surrounding event
- also remember emotions associated
What is semantic memory?
- memory for shared facts and knowledge
- knowing the capital of England
Why must procedural memory be automatic?
So our attention can be focused in other stuff
What memory starts of as episodic memory as knowledge which is acquired through personal experience?
semantic memory
What is a flashbulb memory?
- episodic memory
- a detailed and vivid memory that is stored after one occasion and lasts for one’s entire lifetime
How does HM’s case study support types of long term memory? (can be used as A03)
- Removed hippocampus in surgery
- able to recall most events from before the surgery
- unable to store new LTM
- episodic/sematic memory was affected
- he could acquire new procedural memory: learnt how to play tennis
A03 - Support from brain scans
- strength is that there is research to support different types of LTM by brain scan research
- episodic memory associated with hippocampus and other parts of temporal lobe where hippocampus is located, as well as activity on the frontal lobe
- semantic memory also relies on temporal lobe
- procedural memory relies on cerebellum which is involved in fine motor skills and motor cortex. The basal ganglia and limbic system are also involved in this kind of learning
- therefore these brain scans support the idea of different types of LTM as they are found in different parts of the brain
A03 - Distinguishing procedural and declarative memory
- strength is the case study of HM helps provide evidence for different types of LTM
- HM has his hippocampus removed (parts of his temporal lobe destroyed) and was unable to form new LTM after but retained his pre-existing memories
- After his surgery, HM could form new LTM procedural memory but not episodic/semantic memory
- For example he learnt mirror-drawing a type of procedural memory (Corkin)
- However, he had no memory he learnt this.
- Supports the distinction between procedural and declarative memory, thus supporting the existence of multiple memory stores
A03 - Types of declarative memory
- Strength is that there is research to support idea o different types of declarative memory (episodic and semantic)
- The relationship between episodic and semantic memory is shown with patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Found that some patients able to retain the ability to form semantic memory but not new episodic memory (Hodges and Patterson)
- This is a single dissociation, i.e. separation between the two abilities
- A second dissociation was found by Irish et al, Alzheimer’s patients who have the reverse - form new episodic memory not semantic
- Suggests that episodic and semantic memories are separate and that episodic memories may be a gateway to semantic memories, but semantic memories can form on their own
