Essay
Types of Long Term Memory
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Essay plans for Psychology A Level Memory topic. Written with information taken directly from the Psychology AQA A level textbook.
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TYPES OF LONG TERM MEMORY:There is lots of evidence of the 3 types of
AO1 BRIEF: 2 marks AO3: 1-3 marks
LTM which can be applied to real life.
Tulving proposed that there are actually three LTM stores, all Tulving’s view of there being three types of long term memory stores
containing different
ai information, and said that the multi-store is supported by evidence from other studies, such as the case of Clive
model’s view of LTM was too simplistic. He called them procedural Wearing. Episodic memory in Clive was severely impaired as a
memory, episodic memory and semantic memory. Procedural consequence of amnesia, and he had difficulty with recalling events
memory is the memory for how we do things, which we can recall that had happened to him in his past. However, his semantic memory
without conscious awareness. An example of this is driving a car, or was unaffected - for example he still understood the meanings of
making a cup of tea. Eventually, our ability to do this depends on words. As well as this, his procedural memory remained intact – Clive
procedural memory. Changing gear is a process that we do not have had no problem with walking, speaking and playing the piano. This
to recall how to do, and similarly the order of making a cup of tea shows that only one store can be damaged, leaving the other stores
becomes a ‘natural’ process. These sorts of skills tend to be difficult unaffected. Therefore, this supporting evidence makes it clear that
to explain how to do to others. there are not only different types of memory, but that they are also
stored in different parts of the brain.
AO1 EXPLAIN: 4 marks
AO3: 4-6 marks
Episodic memory refers to our ability to recall events from our lives.
However, there are problems with clinical evidence like the case of
Examples include your most recent visit to the dentist, a concert you
Clive Wearing. Despite providing us with lots of useful information
went to last year and the breakfast you had this morning. These
about what exactly happens when memory is damaged, and even
memories are actually quite complex; firstly you remember when
helping researchers to understand how memory is supposed to
they happened, and secondly your memory of a single episode
normally work, such clinical studies are far from perfect. For
includes several elements. This includes places, people, objects and
example, there is a serious lack of control of many of the different
behaviours which all intertwine with each other to produce a single
variables involved in clinical studies. This may include how often
memory. Thirdly, you have to make a conscious effort to recall
one person suffering with memory loss may complete a task
episodic memories – despite being done quickly, you are still aware
compared to another.
that you are searching for your memory of what happened during a
certain event.
AO1 DISCUSS – 6 marks AO3: 7-8 marks
Semantic memory contains our knowledge of the world, including However, despite this criticism there is much more evidence that the
facts. This type of long term memory has often been likened to a different types of LTM are stored in different parts of the brain, which
combination of an encyclopaedia and a dictionary, and so it includes has been found from brain scan studies. Tulving got participants to
knowledge like applying to a university, the taste of an orange and perform various memory tasks whilst their brains were being
most importantly; word definitions. Your semantic memory contains scanned. The results found that episodic and semantic memories
your knowledge of an impressive number of concepts, which are not were recalled from the same area of the brain, which is split into two
‘time-stamped’. Instead, we simply ‘appear’ to know these facts and hemispheres, with the left involved in recalling semantic memories
therefore semantic knowledge is less personal and more about the and the right involved in recalling episodic memories. This is strength
facts that we all share. However, semantic memory also contains an as it supports the view of there being a physical reality to the
immense collection of material which is continuously added to. different types of LTM within the brain. Also, in later research studies
further supporting evidence increases the validity of this finding.
AO3: 9-10 marks
NOTES Being able to identify different aspects of LTM allows psychologists to
target certain kinds of memory in order to improve people’s lives.
This has been demonstrated by researchers, who showed that
episodic memories could be improved in older people who had a mild
cognitive impairment. The trained participants performed better on a
test of episodic memory compared to the control group. Therefore,
episodic memory is the type of memory most affected by mild
cognitive impairment, highlighting the benefit of being able to
distinguish between the types of LTM; as it enables specific
treatments to be developed.
Word count: AO1 = 334, AO3 = 434, TOTAL = 768
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