M2 Memory - L7

Question 1

What are the different types of long term memory?

Answer 1

Episodic memory, semantic memory, procedural memory (ESP)

Question 2

What is episodic memory?

Answer 2

-memory for events

Question 3

Examples of episodic memories

Answer 3

recollection of your first day of school, a family holiday, your last birthday etc.

Question 4

What are the three elements of episodic memories?

Answer 4

• specific details of the event
• the context of the event
• the emotions you were feeling at the time of the event.

Question 5

Where are episodic memories stored?

Answer 5

Hippocampus

Question 6

What is the semantic memory?

Answer 6

• memory for facts and general knowledge about the world
• may also relate to the functions of objects -appropriate behaviour in certain situations
• abstract concepts such as maths and language.

Question 7

Examples of semantic memories

Answer 7

Capital of UK is london and 2+2=4

Question 8

How are semantic memories coded?

Answer 8

• begin as episodic memories (acquire knowledge based on personal experiences) -gradual transition from episodic to semantic when memory slowly loses its association to particular events and is generalised.
• but sometimes people can have a strong recollection of when and where they learned a particular fact.

Question 9

Where are semantic memories stored?

Answer 9

Temporal lobe

Question 10

What is procedural memory?

Answer 10

• ‘muscle memory’
• Motor skills and actions
• seem to be more resistant to forgetting or amnesia than other types of LTM.

Question 11

Examples of procedural memories

Answer 11

knowing how to tie your shoelaces, knowing how to drive, or knowing how to read

Question 12

How are procedural memories acquired?

Answer 12

through practise and repetition

Question 13

Why are procedural memories difficult to explain verbally?

Answer 13

• Less aware of procedural memories- they become automatic and are unavailable for conscious inspection (unlike episodic memories and semantic memories)
• this is why if you think about doing a procedural memory it prevents you from carrying them out

Question 14

Why is it important that procedural memories are automatic?

Answer 14

So we can focus our attention on other tasks while performing these everyday skills

Question 15

Where are procedural memories stored?

Answer 15

Cerebellum

Question 16

Evaluation of LTM- strengths

Answer 16

+ Evidence for the distinction between episodic/semantic and procedural memory came from research on patients with amnesia-
Semantic, Episodic = unable to code new memories
Procedural= unaffected

+ Scientific evidence from brain scans supports the view that there are different types of LTM. E.g. when asking participants to recall different types of info, different areas of the brain are shown to be active on an fMRI.
Episodic = hippocampus
Semantic memories = temporal lobe and Procedural memories= cerebellum.

+ Case studies of brain damaged patients offer support for the different types of LTM. For example, Clive Wearing suffered from viral infection which damaged his hippocampus- has no episodic memory, cannot form new semantic memories. BUT, his procedural memory is intact (e.g. he can still play the piano).

Question 17

Evaluation of LTM - weakness

Answer 17

• The findings cannot be generalised to the wider population:
  Research into the different types of LTM have typically been conducted on individual patients (e.g. Clive Wearing and HM) due to ethical concerns.
  Inappropriate to assume everyone’s’ LTM is formed in the same way.

-Evidence of gender differences in LTM, research on types of LTM cannot be generalized to all .
Herlitz et al (1997) assessed LTM abilities in 1,000 Swedish participants. Females = better on episodic tasks. No difference = in semantic LTM ability. Suggested that women may have stronger episodic memories due to their higher verbal abilities.

Question 18

Which stores are explicit and implicit?

Answer 18

Explicit- semantic, episodic

Implicit- procedural