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Practice dictation & shadowing on the Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Listening Part 4 Test 2.
Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Listening Test 2 Part 4
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(1)
Today, we'll be continuing the series of lectures on memory by focusing on what is called episodic memory, and what can happen if this is not working properly.
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Episodic memory refers to the memory of an event or episode.
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Episodic memories allow us to mentally travel back in time to an event from the past.
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Episodic memories include various details about these events.
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For example, when an event happened and other information such as the location.
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To help understand this concept, try to remember the last time you ate dinner at a restaurant.
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The ability to remember where you ate, who you were with, and the items you ordered are all features of an episodic memory.
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Episodic memory is distinct from another type of memory called semantic memory.
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This is the type of factual memory that we have in common with everyone else.
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That is your general knowledge of the world.
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To build upon a previous example, remembering where you parked your car is an example of episodic memory.
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But your understanding of what a car is and how an engine works are examples of semantic memory.
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Unlike episodic memory, semantic memory isn't dependent on recalling personal experiences.
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Episodic memory can be thought of as a process with several different steps of memory processing: encoding, consolidation, and retrieval.
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The initial step is called encoding.
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This involves the process of receiving and registering information, which is necessary for creating memories of information or events that you experience.
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The degree to which you can successfully encode information depends on the level of attention you give to an event while it's actually happening.
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Being distracted can make effective encoding very difficult.
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Encoding of episodic memories is also influenced by how you process the event.
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For example, if you were introduced to someone called Charlie, you might make the connection that your uncle has the same name.
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Future recollection of Charlie's name is much easier if you have a strategy to help you encode it.
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Memory consolidation, the next step in forming an episodic memory, is the process by which memories of encoded information are strengthened, stabilised, and stored to facilitate later retrieval.
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Consolidation is most effective when the information being stored can be linked to an existing network of information.
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Consolidation makes it possible for you to store memories for later retrieval indefinitely.
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Forming strong memories depends on the frequency with which you try to retrieve them.
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Memories can fade or become harder to retrieve if they aren't used very often.
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The last step in forming episodic memories is called retrieval, which is the conscious recollection of encoded information.
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Retrieving information from episodic memory depends upon semantic, olfactory, auditory, and visual factors.
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These help episodic memory retrieval by acting as a prompt.
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For example, when recalling where you parked your car, you may use the color of a sign close to where you parked.
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You actually have to mentally travel back to the moment you parked.
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There are a wide range of neurological diseases and conditions that can affect episodic memory.
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These range from Alzheimer's to schizophrenia to autism.
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An impairment of episodic memory can have a profound effect on individuals' lives.
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For example, the symptoms of schizophrenia can be reasonably well controlled by medication.
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However, patients' episodic memory may still be impaired, and so they are often unable to return to university or work.
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Recent studies have shown that computer assisted games designed to keep the brain active can help improve their episodic memory.
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Episodic memories can help people connect with others.
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For instance, by sharing intimate details about their past, something individuals with autism often have problems with.
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This may be caused by an absence of a sense of self.
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This is essential for the storage of episodic memory and has been found to be impaired in children with autism.
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Research has shown that treatments that improve memory may also have a positive impact on children's social development.
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One study...