Database results:
examBoard: AQA
examType: GCSE
lessonTitle: Long-term Memory Store
Your long-term memory store is like a massive library where you keep all your knowledge, experiences and skills. Unlike short-term memory, which holds information briefly, long-term memory can store information for your entire lifetime. It's where you keep your childhood memories, how to ride a bike and everything you've learned in school.
Key Definitions:
Capacity: Virtually unlimited - you can keep learning new things throughout your life.
Duration: Can last a lifetime, though some memories may fade.
Encoding: Mainly semantic (meaning-based), though can also be visual or acoustic.
Short-term memory: Limited capacity (7±2 items), short duration (18-30 seconds), mainly acoustic encoding.
Long-term memory: Unlimited capacity, potentially lifelong duration, mainly semantic encoding.
Long-term memory isn't just one system but can be divided into different types based on what kind of information is being stored.
Stores specific personal experiences and events.
Example: Remembering your last birthday party, what you did and who was there.
Stores general knowledge and facts about the world.
Example: Knowing that London is the capital of England or that water boils at 100°C.
Stores skills and how to do things.
Example: Knowing how to ride a bike or tie your shoelaces without thinking about it.
Information enters long-term memory through the process of encoding. While short-term memory mainly uses acoustic (sound-based) encoding, long-term memory primarily uses:
The deeper the level of processing, the better the memory will be stored and later retrieved. This is known as the levels of processing theory (Craik and Lockhart, 1972).
Craik and Tulving (1975) showed participants words and asked them different types of questions:
Results showed that participants remembered more words that had been processed semantically (deeply) than those processed visually or acoustically. This supports the idea that semantic encoding leads to better long-term memory.
Once information is encoded, it's stored in the brain through physical changes in the neural networks. This process is called consolidation and involves:
New connections (synapses) form between neurons and existing connections are strengthened. This physical change is how memories are stored long-term.
Sleep is crucial for memory consolidation. During sleep, especially deep sleep, the brain strengthens new neural connections made during the day, helping to move information from short-term to long-term memory.
Retrieval is the process of accessing stored information when needed. There are several ways we retrieve memories:
Retrieval is affected by various factors including context, mood and the presence of retrieval cues that were present during encoding.
Godden and Baddeley (1975) conducted a famous study with deep-sea divers. They found that divers who learned information underwater recalled it better when tested underwater, while those who learned on land recalled better when tested on land. This shows how the context or environment can act as a retrieval cue.
Even though long-term memory has a potentially unlimited capacity, we still forget information. There are several theories explaining why:
Memory traces fade over time if not used.
New information disrupts old memories (proactive) or old memories disrupt new learning (retroactive).
Information is stored but can't be accessed due to lack of appropriate cues.
Understanding how long-term memory works can help us improve our memory techniques:
In exams, you might be asked to:
Understanding long-term memory helps in:
Long-term memory is a complex system with virtually unlimited capacity that can store information for a lifetime. It uses primarily semantic encoding and consists of different types including episodic (personal experiences), semantic (facts and knowledge) and procedural (skills) memory. The processes of encoding, storage and retrieval are crucial for effective memory functioning and understanding these processes can help us improve our memory and learning strategies.
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