What are the different types of long-term memory and how do they differ?
Types of memory: episodic, semantic and procedural long-term memory, with everyday examples of each and how they are distinguished.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.1, covering the three types of long-term memory (episodic, semantic and procedural), with everyday examples of each and how they are distinguished.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to describe the three types of long-term memory (episodic, semantic and procedural), give everyday examples of each, and distinguish between them. This is part of the Memory topic in Paper 1, and the most common error is confusing episodic with semantic memory, so the examples matter.
The three types of long-term memory
- Episodic memory: stores events from your own life, such as remembering a wedding you attended or your first day at school. These memories are usually time-stamped (you can place when they happened) and require conscious effort to recall.
- Semantic memory: stores facts and meanings shared by everyone, such as knowing that London is the capital of England or what the word "democracy" means. These are not linked to a specific moment when you learned them.
- Procedural memory: stores skills and how to carry out actions, such as swimming, typing or playing an instrument. These memories are used without conscious thought and are difficult to describe in words.
How they are distinguished
Why this matters
Distinguishing the types shows that long-term memory is not a single store, which is one of the main criticisms of the multi-store model (it treats long-term memory as unitary). It also has practical value: in conditions such as amnesia, different types of memory can be affected differently, which helps explain why someone may forget recent events but keep well-learned skills.
Try this
Q1. Name the three types of long-term memory. [3 marks]
- Cue. Episodic, semantic and procedural.
Q2. Give an example of a procedural memory. [1 mark]
- Cue. A skill such as riding a bike, typing or swimming.
Q3. Explain one difference between episodic and semantic memory. [2 marks]
- Cue. Episodic stores personal, time-stamped events; semantic stores general, timeless facts.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20193 marksOutline the three types of long-term memory. (Paper 1, Section B)Show worked answer →
A 3-mark item that rewards one creditworthy point per type, ideally with an example.
Episodic memory stores personal events and experiences from our own lives, such as remembering your first day at school, and is time-stamped. Semantic memory stores general knowledge and facts about the world, such as knowing that Paris is the capital of France, and is not tied to a specific time. Procedural memory stores skills and how to do things, such as riding a bike, and is used without conscious effort.
Markers reward the three types correctly defined, ideally each with a brief example. Confusing episodic (personal events) with semantic (general facts) is the most common error.
AQA 20224 marksExplain the difference between episodic and procedural memory. (Paper 1, Section B)Show worked answer →
A 4-mark Explain item rewards a developed account of each type plus a contrast.
Episodic memory is the memory of personal events and experiences (such as a holiday or a birthday), which we usually have to consciously recall and which is time-stamped. Procedural memory is the memory of skills and actions (such as tying shoelaces or driving), which is used automatically without conscious thought and is hard to put into words. The key difference is that episodic memory involves conscious recollection of events, whereas procedural memory is an automatic, non-conscious memory for how to do things.
Markers reward both definitions, an example each, and the contrast (conscious recollection of events versus automatic skill).
Related dot points
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A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.1, covering acoustic and semantic encoding, the reconstructive nature of memory shown by Bartlett's War of the Ghosts study, and the effect of context and cues on retrieval.
- Factors affecting the accuracy of memory: interference, context and false memories, plus theories of forgetting including interference and retrieval failure.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.1, covering factors that affect the accuracy of memory such as interference, context and false memories, and explanations of forgetting including interference and retrieval failure.
- Localisation of function and ways of studying the brain: language areas, the role of neuropsychology, Penfield's work, and scanning techniques such as CT, PET and fMRI.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.7, covering localisation of function (including language areas), the role of neuropsychology and Penfield's work, and the brain scanning techniques used to study the brain such as CT, PET and fMRI.
Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Psychology (8182) specification — AQA (2017)