1. VCE Psychology Units 3 & 4
Lesson 4
Organisation of long-
term memory

4.  Explain the organisation of long-term memory
including declarative and episodic memory,
and semantic network theory
 Identify types of long-term memories
 Explain and evaluate the semantic network
theory

5. Long-term memory
(LTM) is the relatively
permanent memory
system that holds vast
amounts of information
for a long time, possibly
indefinitely.
How can we get
information out of
our
LTM? What is this Source: Bananastock
similar to?

6. Long-term memory (LTM) is typically classified into two types:
Long-term
memory (LTM)
Procedural (implicit) Declarative (explicit)
memory memory
Memory of ‘how to Memory of specific facts
do something’ (of /events that can be
actions and skills explicitly stated
previously learned) (declared)

7. The classification system also distinguishes between two types of
declarative (explicit) memory:
Declarative (explicit)
memory
Episodic memory Semantic memory
The declarative memory The declarative memory
of specific events or of information we have
personal experiences. about the world.

8. Declarative memory
Examples of information
retrieved from declarative
memory include:
• identifying a type of flower
• explaining a maths formula to
someone
• describing the events of a
movie you have seen
• remembering what you ate for
lunch yesterday.
Provide three other examples.
Source: Jupiter

9. Episodic memory
Episodic memory is like a mental diary, recording the
autobiographical episodes we experience.
Episodic memories often include details of:
• the time
• the place
• the psychological and physiological state of the person
at the time of the event.
Provide three examples of episodic memory not provided in
your textbook.

10. Episodic memory
What details of this event
might the girl have in her
episodic memory?
Source: Image Source

11. Semantic memory
Semantic memory includes:
 specialised knowledge in
areas of expertise
 academic knowledge of the
kind learned in school
 everyday general knowledge
 the meanings of words.
Provide one example of each
type of semantic memory not
provided in your textbook.
Source: Macmillan South Africa

12. Semantic network theory proposes that information in LTM is
organised systematically in the form of overlapping networks
(or grids) of concepts (nodes) that are interconnected and
interrelated by meaningful links.

13.  Each node is linked with a number of other
nodes.
 When we retrieve information, the activation of
one node causes other related nodes to be
activated also.
 The retrieval of information from LTM therefore
begins with someone searching a particular
‘region’ of memory and then tracing associations
for links among memories (concepts) in that
region, rather than randomly searching the vast
information stores in LTM.
How is this similar to using Google?

14.  A shorter link between two concepts in a
semantic network indicates a strong
association between concepts. While a longer
link between two concepts illustrates a more
distant association.
 It is thought that when ideas are further apart
in meaning , they are further apart in in
distance (within the network). This means
that when memories are similar in their
meaning it takes shorter time to retrieve
them.

15.  Question 1: What is long-term memory (LTM)?
 Answer: The relatively permanent memory system that holds vast
amounts of information for a long time, possibly indefinitely.
 Question 2: LTM is typically classified into ____ memory and ____
memory.
 Answer: Procedural (implicit); declarative (explicit).
 Question 3: There are two types of declarative memory: _____ memory
and _____ memory.
 Answer: Episodic; semantic.
 Question 4: The declarative memory of information we have about the
world is called _____ memory.
 Answer: Semantic.
 Question 5: What details do episodic memories often include?
 Answer: The time, place and psychological and physiological state of the
person at the time of the event.
 Question 6: Your memory of the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria in
February 2009 is an example of semantic memory. True or false?
 Answer: False, it’s an example of episodic memory.
 Question 7: According to semantic network theory, when we retrieve
information, the activation of one node causes other unrelated nodes to
also be activated. True or false?
 Answer: False, it causes the activation of other related nodes.