What is episodic memory?
A long term memory store for personal events
What does episodic memory include?
Includes memories of when events occurred, and of the people, objects, places and behaviours involved.
What are the characteristics of episodic memory?
- they are time stamped [you remember when the events happened]
- memories from this store have to retrieved consciously and with effort
- they are declarative [can be expressed verbally]
What is semantic memory?
A long term memory store for our knowledge of the world
What does semantic memory include?
Includes facts and our knowledge of what words and concepts mean.
It is constantly being added to, and is less vulnerable to distortion and forgetting than procedural.
What are the characteristics of semantic memory?
- They are not time stamped [we don’t remember when we learn new facts]
- Memories from this store have to be retrieved consciously and with effort
- Declarative [can be expressed verbally]
What are the different types of long term memory?
Episodic, semantic and procedural
What is procedural memory?
a long term memory store for our knowledge of how to do things
What does procedural memory include?
includes our memories of learned skills
What are the characteristics of procedural memory?
- they are not time stamped [we don’t usually remember when we learnt a new skill]
- memories from this store don’t have to be retrieved consciously or with effort
- non-declarative [difficult to explain verbally]
Give some examples of episodic memory
- your 21st birthday
- the day you graduated
Give some examples of semantic memory
Naming the state and capital city of your country correctly.
Knowing that trees give oxygen or fish swim in water.
Being able to understand what the other person is saying.
Knowing what the words you read mean.
Give some examples of procedural memory
- driving a car [it becomes automatic through practice]
- riding a bike
- playing a piano
- swimming
