1. Topic 2 – Cognitive Psychology
Lesson six: Explanation of Long Term Memory – episodic and semantic memory Tulving, 1972)

2. Tulving (1972) Long term memory (LTM): Episodic and semantic memory
Example of long term memories ?
Tulving proposed that LTM memory was divided into two memory stores: episodic and semantic memory
What are episodic /semantic memories?

4. Example: Learning a language
Semantic memory?
Episodic memory?

5. What is your most vivid memory and why?
Time: when did that happen? Context: Where were you when that happened?

6. Flashbulb memory A flashbulb memory – Episodic
Mood emotion – associated with the event

7. Differences between episodic and semantic
Pg. 100
Time referencing:
Memories about events that are linked to the time in which they occurred
Factual information can be remembered without reference to when it was learned
Which fact relates to episodic and semantic memory?
Spatial referencing:
Memories are fragmentary. We can piece together factual information that had been learned at different times.
Memories are continuous as we experience an event in a temporal frame of reference
Retrieval:
Memory is dependent on the context in which the event was learned. This context aids the retrieval of the memory
Memory is not dependent on the context therefore retrieval of the memories is not context dependent
Extension: Provide an example for each point

8. Are the stores inter-dependent?
Is one store dependent on the other?
Episodic – operates alongside semantic. We need to draw on facts in order to understand them
Is one independent?
Semantic – We don’t need to remember time and context (e.g. a classroom in June) to remember how to use an equation.

9. Which memories are semantic or episodic?
Knowing how to use scissors
Recalling your first day of school
Remembering what a dog is
Knowing that July follows June

10. Evaluation

11. Supporting evidence
Supporting evidence suggests the disassociation between semantic and episodic memory
Suggests one store can be affected without affecting the other
Ostergaard (1987) pg.102
Summarise and explain how it supports Tulving’s theory regarding semantic and episodic

12. Opposing evidence
Damage to the temporal cortex of the brain seems to cause problems with both types of memory, as does dementia. This suggests declarative and non-declarative memory are located in the same place and may turn out to be the same type of memory but working in different ways Squire & Zola (1998) put this to the test. They examined children with amnesia (who never acquired a semantic store in the first place) and adults with amnesia (who had semantic and episodic memories from before suffering brain damage).
The participants' episodic and semantic memories seem to be equally impaired
How does this oppose/refute Tulving’s theory?

13. Application – why is this explanation useful?
Pg. 101 –wider issues and debates
Cue dependent recall
Kenealy (1997) or Godden and Baddeley (1975)
How can this be useful?
Clive Wearing, or people in the early stages of dementia. Though they may be confused by their amnesia, they might still remember relationships and meanings and this could be used to calm and focus them.
Showing these patients meaningful things and getting them to talk about the meaning can be a type of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy – such as getting them to talk about how familiar songs or activities make them feel.
Why is this useful?

14. Reductionism pg. 102
Case studies such as HM and Clive Wearing highlight limitations – procedural memory. Is this mentioned in this model? As the model stands it is oversimplified as procedural memory should be taken into account.
Why?
Also page 102 (second to last paragraph)
Can you identify the problem and relate it to reductionism?

15. Revision for Cognitive test 1
Cognitive approach
MSM
A01
A02
A03
WMM