types of long term memory (LTM)

types of long term memory (LTM)

1. basics

   • Tulving stated that the multi-store model was too simplistic
     • he came up with the LTM
       • episodic memory
         • recall events from our past lives like a diary
           • they are complex as:
             • you remember when they 'time stamped'
             • includes several elements: people, places, objects and behaviours
             • you have to make a conscious effort to recall it
       • semantic memory
         • knowledge of the world - facts like an encyclopaedia
           • they are not time stamped - less personal
             • really broad range of subjects - constantly being added to
       • procedural memory
         • memory for actions, skills, things we do
           • recall without conscious awareness
             • for example how to drive a car

2. evaluation

   • clinical evidence
     • case study - Henry Molaison (HM) and Clive Wearing
       • episodic memory impaired due to amnesia but semantic and procedural was okay
         • couldn't remember past things happening but still understood meanings of words
           • HM couldn't remember stroking a dog and hour ago but could remember what a dog is
             • supports different memory stores as one can be affected but others still intact
   • neuroimaging evidence
     • brain scans sow different parts of the brain working on different memory tasks
       • Tulving - did PET sans on people doing different tasks
         • episodic and semantic are in the same area but different hemisphere
           • supports that there are physically different parts to memory.
             • tests have been repeated and have found the same (increase validity)
   • real life application
     • identify different aspects of LTM to make peoples life's better who have memory problems
       • Belleville - found old people with mild cognitive impairment could be improved by helping the episodic memory
         • knowing where it is means we can treat it

3. evaluation +

   • problems with clinical evidence
     • for example in the Molaison and Wearing study there was a huge lack of control
       • how reliable and valid is it - can it be generalised
   • are there three types of LTM or just two
     • Cohen and Squire
       • procedural memory is real called the non-declarative memory
         • but semantic and episodic are in one - called the declarative memory