Types of long term memory

Question 1

Define episodic memory

Answer 1

a store for personal events in our lives
Needs concious effort to recall memories
time stamped

Question 2

Define semantic memory

Answer 2

a store for knowledge of the world
needs concious effort to recall memories
less personal

Question 3

Define procedural memory

Answer 3

memeory of actions and skills
recall without concious effort/ recall unconciously
difficult to explain

Question 4

Who discovered the different types of LTM memory and why?

Answer 4

Tulving was one of the first cognitive psychologists to realise that the MMS’s view of LTM was too simplistic and inflexible. He proposed that there were three LTM stores: episodic memory, sematic memory and procedural memory.

Question 5

ao3: supporting evidence

HM

may be clive wearing - procedural memories still in tact, read music and play piano

Answer 5

e.g. case study of HM - whom had brain dmagaed which imparied his brain functions
researchers found hm couldnt recall stroking a dog half hour ago. He didnt need to be told the concept of a dog to be explained. this sugguests that he still had his semantic memories but not his episodic. - his procedural memory were also still intact- he could walk speak.
Supports that there are seperate stores for specific Ltm

Question 6

ao3: conflicting research evidence

Answer 6

researchers reviewed evidence regarding location of episodic and semantic memories. Conclcued that: semantic memory-left prefrontal cortex; episodic-right.

However other evidence links: episodic memory-left prefrontal cortex; semantic-right.

This challeneges any evidence to support types of memory - as there is poor agreement on where each is located.

Question 7

ao3: the long term memory stores are not fully clear/ comprehensive

Answer 7

No clear distinction between episodic and semantic memories.
Recent finding show that episodic seems to be a subcategory of semantic memories which means the both overlap.
e.g. if your trying to remember a semantic fact for an exam (capital of UK) you may recall your experience (episodic) of looking at a map the nigh before.

Therefore, the explainations of the 3 stores arent clear.

Question 8

AO3: real world application

Answer 8

understanding of ltm stores allow us to help people with memory problems.
e.g. researchers compared results in a episodic memory test given to old people who had recieved memory training and to old people who did not. Findings showed that ppts performed better when they had trainig.
This gives opportunities for treatments to be developed which helps improve peoples memory.
Real world value