Long Term Memory

Long Term Memory

1. What is it? What does it do?

   • Long term memory is one of the three unitary stores that make up the multi store model of memory. Its responsible for being a system that permanently stores, manages and retrieves data for later use as LTM is available potentially for a lifetime.

2. Duration

   • Duration in the LTM is assumed to potentially last a whole lifetime- of course there is no easy way to find this out for sure. It is most often the case that brain structures begin to deteriorate and fail before any limit of learning has been reached
     • This does not mean to say that any item stored in the LTM is accessible at any point in its lifetime rather connections or associations to the memory decay but the memory itself remains intact albeit unreachable.

3. Capacity

   • Again capacity of the LTM is assumed to potentially be unlimited.
     • Because of this it is very difficult to research.

4. Coding

   • Information is thought to be mainly semantically encoded.

5. Types

   • Procedural memory- part of LTM responsible for knowing how to do things aka motor skills. It stores information on how to perform certain procedures (eg. walking, talking, riding a bike.) These functions are automatic as that we may focus on other tasks requiring our attention.
   • Semantic memory- refers to a portion of the LTM that processes ideas and concepts that are not drawn from personal experience. Semantic memory includes things that are considered to be common knowledge such as the names of colours or capitals of countries. These memories are not time stamped and are less personal.
   • Episodic memory- memory of autobiographical events (times, places, associated emotions and other contextual knowledge) that can be explicitly stated. They are time stamped. You will have to make a conscious effort to recall episodic memories. Your memory of a single episode will contain many different elements.