Memory Models: Tulving (1972)

Question 1

Define ‘semantic memories’ and give an example.

Answer 1

General knowledge and facts that the origin of can’t be recalled (e.g. the capital city of France is Paris).

Question 2

What is the encoding of semantic memories?

Answer 2

Acoustic but can also be encoded from episodic memory.

Question 3

What is the retrieval of semantic memories?

Answer 3

Can occur without learning, understanding the rules behind something can be enough (e.g. “I before ‘e’ except after ‘c’”) and doesn’t rely on cues.

Question 4

How does forgetting occur with semantic memories?

Answer 4

Memory trace is strong and less susceptible to transformation (e.g. 2+2=4 will always remain the same).

Question 5

Define ‘episodic memories’ and give an example.

Answer 5

Events that we experience in our lives (e.g. first day at school).

Question 6

What is the encoding of episodic memories?

Answer 6

Uses all forms, when and where is most important.

Question 7

What is the retrieval of episodic memories?

Answer 7

Can be encouraged using cues which are encoded at the point of learning.

Question 8

How does forgetting occur with episodic memories?

Answer 8

It’s due to retrieval cue failure and memories can be changed/distorted.

Question 9

Are semantic and episodic memories interrelated?

Answer 9

Semantic memories can operate separately to episodic memories, however, episodic ones are unlikely to operate without semantic. This is because we draw on previous knowledge of objects, people, and events to understand them.

Question 10

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘evidence’ points.

Answer 10

Research from CW supports. He had impairment to hippocampus so shouldn’t have any LTM, however could still remember his wife and play the piano. This supports that LTM is split into epsodic and semantic memories

Verfaellie, Koseff and Alexander (2000) studied a 40 year old female suffered brain damage to the hippocampus, but not the underlying cortices. It was found that she had greatly impaired episodic memory, but was able to acquire new semantic memories. For exmaple, she could recognise the faces of people that became famous after the onset of her amnesia. Therefore, this supports the idea that there are separate stores of long term memory as opposed to one unitary store, which process different forms of memory such as memory of events and memory of facts.

Question 11

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate a low and high ‘how’ point.

Answer 11

P - Research has high ecological validity
E - Due to using case studies it looks at the ppt in their natural environment
E - Ensuring that it reflects memory in real life
P - Research has low reliability
E - Due to being case studies you can’t replicate the situations as it would be unethical
E - And so can’t test for consistency of brain damage

Question 12

Are there any applications?

Answer 12

P - Yes, with EWT
E - It states that episodic memories rely on cues that were attached at the time of encoding in order to be retrieved
E - Therefore suggesting that in order to gain more accurate EWT, police should use cues such as contextual reinstatement in the cognitive interview in whcih witnesses re-imagine the scene of the crime

Question 13

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘credibility’ points.

Answer 13

HM gives this theory low credibility. He improved on the star task daily, depsite having no memory of ever completing it due to having no LTM following a hippocampus removal. This therefore suggests there is a 3rd type of memory store- procedural memory- meaning the explanation of simply episodic and semantic is insufficient on its own, lacking credibility