Tulvings LTM

Question 1

What is Tulving’s Explanation of Long-Term Memory?

Answer 1

• Tulving (1972) proposed that LTM is not a single unitary store but is divided into multiple distinct systems:
• Episodic memory
• Semantic memory
• Procedural memory

Question 2

What is Episodic Memory?

Answer 2

• Episodic memory refers to memories of personal events or experiences that occurred at a specific time and place.
• It is time-stamped (you remember when it happened).
• You have to make a conscious effort to recall it.
• Linked to the hippocampus.
  Example: Remembering your first day at college.

Question 3

What is Semantic Memory?

Answer 3

• Semantic memory is our general knowledge about the world.
• Not time-stamped (you don’t remember when you learned it).
• Often retrieved without effort.
• Linked to the temporal lobe.
  Example: Knowing that Paris is the capital of France or that a zebra is an animal.

Question 4

What is Procedural Memory?

Answer 4

• Procedural memory is the memory for skills and actions, especially those learned through repetition.
• It is non-declarative (hard to describe in words).
• Usually recalled automatically without conscious awareness.
• Linked to the cerebellum and motor cortex.
  Example: Knowing how to drive a car or play the piano.

Question 5

What are key features that distinguish Tulving’s memory types?

Answer 5

• Episodic: Personal, time-stamped, effortful recall.
• Semantic: Factual, not time-stamped, automatic recall.
• Procedural: Skills-based, unconscious recall, hard to explain verbally.

Question 6

What are the two types of LTM suggested by Tulving?

Answer 6

Declarative memory: memory of meaningful events.

! Procedural memory: memory of how to do things

Question 7

Tulving splits declarative memory into two sub-types:

Answer 7

! - Episodic memory: memory of past events/ autobiographical events which can be perceptually encoded via the 5 senses

! - Semantic memory: memory of relationships and how things fit together

Question 8

Outline the difference between episodic memory and semantic memory

Answer 8

• Episodic memory: represents memory of experiences & specific events
• Semantic memory: more structured record of facts, meanings, concepts and knowledge

Question 9

What does Tulving suggest is more stronger of a memory?

Answer 9

Semantic is much stronger than Episodic memory and erodes slower

Question 10

Evidence

Answer 10

P- There is strong neurological evidence supporting the distinction between different types of LTM.
E- Tulving et al. (1994) used PET scans and found that different types of memory activated different areas of the brain. Episodic memory was linked to activity in the right prefrontal cortex, while semantic memory activated the left prefrontal cortex.
E- This shows that episodic and semantic memories are stored in separate regions, supporting the idea of different LTM stores.
CP: However, brain imaging studies can be interpreted in different ways and may not fully explain the processes behind memory.

Question 11

Application

Answer 11

P- Understanding different types of LTM has useful practical applications.
E- Knowing that episodic memory is often affected in Alzheimer’s patients, but procedural memory remains intact for longer, can help in creating care plans and memory interventions.
E- This means that therapies and daily tasks can focus on routines and skills the patient still remembers, improving their quality of life.

Question 12

Credibility and Comparison

Answer 12

P- Tulving’s theory is more credible and detailed than the MSM (Multi-Store Model).
E- Unlike the MSM, which views LTM as one unitary store, Tulving provides a more sophisticated view of memory.
E- His model explains why someone might lose episodic memories due to brain damage but still retain procedural ones, something MSM cannot explain.
CP- However, some argue the distinctions between types of LTM aren’t always so clear-cut — for example, episodic and semantic memories often overlap.

Question 13

How good is the research

Answer 13

P- Tulving’s theory is based on both experimental and clinical evidence, making it highly valid.
E- Case studies such as Clive Wearing show that after damage to the hippocampus, episodic memory was impaired but procedural memory remained intact (e.g., he could still play piano).
E- This supports Tulving’s idea of separate stores for different types of LTM.
CP: Case studies are based on individuals with unique brain damage, so findings may not generalise to the wider population.