Types of long term memory

Who proposed the 3 types of Long term memory and what are they?

Tulving (1972) - episodic, semantic, procedural

What is semantic memory?

General knowledge/facts - temporal lobes

What is procedural memory?

Memory of a skill or habit, cerebellum

What is episodic memory?

Memories that have personal meaning - event, context, emotion. E.g. wedding.

Supporting research for the different types of long term memory:

Henry Molaison → HM

Suffered from severe epilepsy and underwent a surgery to remove a part of his hippocampus, after the surgery he couldn’t form new episodic memories but could still learn motor skills and recall facts.

Longitudinal study

Supporting research for types of long term memory - Clive Wearing

Musician who suffered severe damage to his hippocampus due to a viral infection.

Had a severely impaired episodic memory, could remember his kids or wedding, and forgot things in seconds.

Had an impaired semantic memory → could still remember some general facts but forgot many.

Procedural memory was still intact → could still play the piano, walk ect

Evaluate the types of long term memory and- strength

Case studies

Clive wearing and HM → damaged episodic

One store doesn’t affect the others proving that there are separate stores.

Evaluate the types of long term memory and- strength

Brain scanning

Tulving used PET scans and found that

Semantic memories were linked to activity in the left prefrontal cortex

Episodic Memories → right prefrontal cortex

Procedural memories → cerebellum

Scientific objective evidence to prove that different types of LTM use different parts of the brain are activated→ reliable

So there is strong neurological evidence.

Evaluate the types of long term memory and- limitation

Semantic and episodic memory overlap

Overlap between episodic and semantic memory

Semantic memory develops episodic memories

We learn general facts from person experience and so they may be interdependent

Suggesting that the stores may have been over simplified

It’s currently unclear and so further research is needed.

Evaluate the types of long term memory and- limitation

Case studies

Case studies

HM and Clive wearing → unique injuries may not be representative of neurotypical individuals.

Brain damage may cause wider cognitive changes and it doesn’t prove that LTM is separate for everyone.