Chapter 1. Episodic / Semantic Memory

1.1 Introduction

The distinction between episodic and semantic memory was first proposed by Endel Tulving in 1972. Episodic memory is memory for events in one’s life. Semantic memory is memory for facts. Tulving found a number of different lines of evidence to support this distinction. First, neuroscience evidence demonstrated that episodic and semantic memory tasks activated different brain structures (Rosenbaum, 2005). Also, performance on tests of semantic and episodic memory employed by Tulving did not show a significant correlation, suggesting that the tests tapped two separate abilities in humans. The experiment replicated here was performed by Shoben, Wescourt, & Smith (1978). It further illustrates the episodic versus semantic distinction by employing two separate memory tasks (sentence verification and sentence recognition) that differentially test these two types of memory.

Shoben, E. J., Wescourt, K. T., & Smith, E. E. (1978). Sentence verification, sentence recognition, and the semantic-episodic distinction. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 4(4), 304-317.

Tulving, E. Episodic and semantic memory. In E. Tulving & W. Donaldson (Eds.), Organization of memory. New York: Academic Press, 1972.

Smith, E. E., Shoben, E. J., & Rips, L. J. (1974). Structure and process in semantic memory: A featural model for semantic decisions. Psychological Review, 81, 214-241.

Rosenbaum, R. S., Kohler, S., Schacter, D. L., Moscovitch, M., Westmacott, R., Black, S. E., et al. (2005). The case of K.C.: Contributions of a memory-impaired person to memory theory. Neuropsychologia, 43, 989-1021.

1.2 Experiment Setup

1.3 Instructions

You will need to press the space bar to begin the first part of the experiment. Then, you will be shown a series of sentences. This first part is called sentence verification. You will need to determine if each sentence is true or false. Please press the Z key if the statement is true and the M key if the statement is false.

Keyboard Responses

Counterbalance Instructions:

You will need to press the space bar to begin the first part of the experiment. Then, you will be shown a series of sentences. This first part is called sentence verification. You will need to determine if each sentence is true or false. Please press the M key if the statement is true and the Z key if the statement is false.

Keyboard Responses

1.4 Experiment

1.5 Results

1.6 Quiz