Types of Long-Term Memory

The multi-store model described long-term memory (LTM) as a single, unitary store. However, research has shown that there are in fact different types of LTM, each storing different kinds of information and relying on different brain structures. Tulving (1972) proposed that LTM consists of three distinct types: episodic, semantic, and procedural memory.

---

Episodic Memory

Episodic memory stores personal experiences and events — your "autobiography." These are memories of specific things that have happened to you, stamped with the time and place they occurred.

Characteristics of Episodic Memory

• Memories are time-stamped — you can usually remember when the event happened
• They include contextual details — where you were, who was there, how you felt
• They are personal and unique to the individual
• They must be consciously recalled (you have to deliberately think about them)
• They are complex, involving multiple elements (people, places, objects, emotions)

Examples

• Remembering your first day at secondary school
• Recalling what you had for breakfast yesterday
• Remembering a family holiday

---

Semantic Memory