Types of LTM

Flashcards about the different types of Long Term Memory

According to Tulving (1985), how is long-term memory structured?

Tulving proposed that LTM is not a single unitary store but consists of episodic, semantic, and procedural memory.

What is episodic memory?

A store for personal events, time-stamped, and requires conscious effort for retrieval (declarative memory).

Give an example of episodic memory.

First day of school, recent visit to the dentist

What is semantic memory?

A store for our knowledge of the world, including facts, word meanings/concepts, and general knowledge; not time-stamped and requires conscious effort for retrieval (declarative memory).

Give an example of semantic memory.

The taste of an orange, the look of colors, geography.

What is procedural memory?

A store for learned motor skills (knowledge of how to do things); recalled without conscious effort (non-declarative memory).

Give an example of procedural memory.

Driving a car, riding a bicycle, swimming.

What happens when you try to explain procedural memories?

Trying to explain procedural memories may make the task more difficult.

Is there any supporting evidence for Episodic/Semantic memory?

Yes, Jacob & Dallas found that 247 undergraduates performed perceptual identification tasks (testing semantic memory) and episodic recognition tasks (testing episodic memory); J&D found a difference in performance between the semantic and episodic tasks, suggesting that the 2 stores are independent of each other.

Is there practical Application for Episodic memory?

Yes, Belleville suggested that episodic memory could be improved in elderly people suffering from a mild cognitive impairment by training; trained PPs performed better on a test of episodic memory than a control group

What approach is the Types of LTM related to?

Cognitive Neuroscience as it refers to the scientific study of the influence of brain of brain structures on internal mental processed. Tulving’s model of LTM is supported by neuroimaging studies, which establish a link between certain brain structures and different types of LTM neural correlates for episodic memory include the medial temproal lobe and the right prefrontal cortex.

Is there any contradictory evidence for Types of LTM memory?

Yes, Cohen & Squire proposed that LTM is split into only 2 types rather than 3; they referred to episodic and semantic memory as declarative (recalled consciously), whilst procedural memory is non-declarative (recalled unconsciously). This theory doesn’t draw a distinction between episodic and semantic memory, unlike Tulving’s model.

Is research in episodic memory objective?

Yes, as most of the research conducted used neuroimaging techniques, such as Janowsky and Tulving.

Is there any supporting evidence for Semantic/Episodic memory?

Yes, Tulving used PET scans and found that the left prefrontal cortex is involved in recalling semantic memories and the right prefrontal cortex is involved in recalling memories.

Is there Practical Application for semantic memory?

Yes, Semantic satiation, which involves repeating a phrase until it temporarily loses meaning. Research suggests it can improve understanding of effective reading and multilingualism.

How is semantic satiation applied to systematic desensitisation?

Semantic satiation is integrated into systematic desensitisation, a phobia treatment using a stepped approach. It reduces phobic anxiety by associating the phobic stimulus with relaxation; the client repeatedly says the phobic stimulus to become desensitised

Is there any supporting evidence for Types of LTM?

Yes, Sacks investigated the case study of Clive Wearing, who suffered from a viral infection in his Hippocampus and developed amnesia (he could only remember some aspect of his life from before infection. Sacks found that his procedural memory was intact and he could stilll play the piano, and his semantic memory was intact as he could still recognise his wife and knew he had children. However, his Episodic memory had been damaged, as he was unable to recall his wedding say; suggesting that the different types of LTM are distinct.

Is there Practical Application for Proocedural Memory?

Yes, Smith suggested that REM sleep plays a critical role in the consolidation of procedural memory; memories are strengthened through the formation of synaptic connections in the brain.