Types of LTM (Booklet 6)

Name 3 different types of long term memory

• Episodic memory

• Semantic memory

• Procedural memory

Describe semantic memory

Memory for our facts/knowledge of the world

• Not “time stamped”

• Usually needs to be recalled consciously

• Less personal than episodic memories

Describe episodic memory

Memory store for personal events

• Includes memories of when events occurred and people, places, behaviours involved

• Needs to be consciously recalled (with effort)

• Usually “time stamped”

Describe procedural memory (muscle memory)

Memory for actions/skills or how to do things

• Usually recalled without conscious effort

• Difficult to explain verbally

Give 2 differences between episodic and procedural memory

• Episodic memory is recalled consciously whereas procedural is recalled without conscious effort

• Episodic memory is usually time stamped whereas procedural memory is not

Give 2 differences between episodic and semantic memory

• Semantic memory is less personal than episodic memories

• Episodic memory is usually time stamped whereas semantic memory is not

Give 2 differences between semantic and procedural memory

• Semantic memory is recalled consciously whereas procedural is recalled without conscious effort

• Semantic memories are easy to state verbally whereas procedural memories are difficult to explain verbally

How does Tulving’s 1994 study support different types of LTM?

Tulving (1994) asked participants to perform different memory tests while having a brain scan. The PET scans show:

• the left frontal lobe is active when retrieving semantic memories

• the right frontal lobe is active when recalling episodic memories

Therefore as semantic and episodic memory are stored in different places there must be different types of LTM.

How does the case of Clive Wearing support different types of LTM?

• Clive’s procedural memory was intact (e.g: he could still play piano)

• Still had some semantic memories (e.g: could remember parts of his childhood)

• Episodic memory was destroyed due to the virus

This supports the 3 different types of LTM as they each affected Clive’s brain differently therefore there must be separate stores.

Why do Cohen and Squire question the 3 types of LTM?

• Argued memories should be split into declarative and non-declarative (consciously recalled and unconsciously recalled)

• Accept procedural memories as a type of LTM

• Argue that episodic and semantic memories are stored together in one LTM store that they call declarative memory (memories which can be consciously recalled)