Long term memory (booklet 2)

Question 1

Describe the types of LTM

Answer 1

Conscious -> declarative -> semantic, episodic
Unconscious-> non declarative -> procedural

Question 2

What are the three types of LTM?

Answer 2

Episodic
Semantic
Procedural

Question 3

Describe episodic memory

Answer 3

Recall of events from our lives - personal memories
Memory includes details of event, context, emotions experienced
Time stamped
Make conscious effort to recall
Eg Christmas dinner last year

Question 4

Describe semantic memory

Answer 4

Knowledge, facts, concepts and meanings
Includes our shared knowledge of the world
Not time stamped or personal
Make conscious effort to recall
Eg capital city of france

Question 5

Describe procedural memory

Answer 5

Includes memory of actions and skills
Skills we might find hard to explain to someone else
Acquired through repetition and practice
Can be recalled without conscious awareness
Eg writing

Question 6

Evaluate the LTM using clinical evidence

Answer 6

Case studies of Clive Wearing and Henry Molaison support separate LTM stores
Episodic memory in both men severely impaired due to brain damage
Semantic and procedural memories practically unaffected - could still understand meanings and walk, talk etc
As one aspect of LTM can be preserved and other severely impaired, shows they must be stored independently of each other

Question 7

Evaluate the LTM using a counterpoint for clinical evidence

Answer 7

Despite being helpful in understanding memory, studies lack control of variables
Brain injuries were not controlled or expected by researchers
Researcher had no knowledge of individual’s memory before injury so no comparison can be made
Lack of control limits what research can tell us

Question 8

Evaluate LTM using neuroimaging evidence

Answer 8

Conflicting research evidence linking types of LTM to areas of brain
Buckner and Petersen (1996) concluded semantic memory located on left side of prefrontal cortex and episodic on right
However other research links left prefrontal cortex with encoding episodic memories and right prefrontal cortex with episodic retrieval
Challenges theory as poor agreement of location

Question 9

Evaluate LTM using a real world application

Answer 9

Allows psychologists to help people with memory problems
As people age memory deteriorates
Research shows may be specific to episodic memory- Belleville (2006) designed an intervention to improve episodic memory
Shows distinguishing between types of LTM allows specific treatments to be developed