Semantic memory: what it is, characteristics and 5 exercises to improve it

In a major 1972 essay, Tulving first clearly defined the boundaries of a field of study that in In recent decades it has been the center of intense research activity: this new object of study was memory semantics. Since then, in the psychological and neuropsychological field, semantic memory is understood as the set of knowledge that allows us to interpret words and things.

Thanks to semantic memory, we attribute a meaning to the objects of experience, and their place in the field of cognitive functions is of of utmost importance if one takes into account that it is involved in operations such as the understanding of language and the recognition of the things that we surround.

In this Psychology-Online article, we will see then what is semantic memory, its characteristics and some exercises to improve it.

Index

1. What is semantic memory
2. Characteristics of semantic memory
3. Difference between semantic and episodic memory
4. Semantic memory disturbances
5. Exercises to improve semantic memory 

The semantic memory is that warehouse of long-term memory accessible to the conscience and specialized in the acquisition of information about facts, episodes and abstract knowledge about the world. It represents an advanced stage in evolutionary terms as it emerges with vertebrates, and in man it takes shape only late during ontogenetic development.

In detail, semantic memory is the part of the declarative memory which refers to general knowledge about the world, for example the price of an object, the president of the Spanish Parliament, the contents learned in school. Indeed, a characteristic of semantic memory is the ability to verbally describe the characteristics of a known object, of a place in which a certain experience has been carried out, or of expressing the experiences subjective.

Semantic memory is necessary both for the production and understanding of language and for a correct interaction with the extraverbal world, of which an example is the use of objects of use common. Thanks to the features stored in our semantic memory we can categorize objects in the world and make sense of words of natural languages.

If you want to know all the typologies, we recommend the following article about the memory types.

The essence of semantic memory is that its content is not tied to any particular instance of experience, as in episodic memory. Instead, what is stored in semantic memory is the "essence" of the experience, an abstract structure which applies to a wide variety of experiential objects and delineates the categorical and functional relationships between these objects. Therefore, a complete theory of semantic memory must take into account not only the representational structure of such "essence", but also the way in which it can be extracted from experience. Several models of semantic memory have been proposed:

• Network models (TLC, semantic networks).
• Feature models.
• Association Models (SAM).
• Statistical models (LSA).

To illustrate the difference between semantic and episodic memoryTulving proposes a summary of very simple and very clear examples that the phenomenologist can appropriate; some are drawn from everyday experience, others from laboratory experience:

The following statements are based on memory information stored in the episodic memory:

• I remember seeing a flash of light not long ago, followed by a loud noise seconds later.
• Last year, on my summer vacation, I met a retired captain who knew more jokes than anyone he has ever met.
• I remember that I have an appointment with a student at 9:30 in the morning.
• One of the words that I know I saw on the first list I studied was "legend."
• I know the word "dax" on the list was "frigid".

The examples of episodic memory are followed by as many examples of semantic memory. Now let's see some examples of the type of information handled by the semantic memory:

• I remember that the chemical formula for common kitchen salt is Nacl.
• I know that summers are usually quite hot in Kathmandu.
• I know that the name of the month that follows June is July, if we consider them in the order in which they appear on the calendar.
• I know that the uncertainty of an event that has five equiprobable outcomes is 2,322 bits.
• I think the association between "table" and "chair" is stronger than the association between "table" and "nose".

In summary, semantic memory is that which refers to facts or information of a general nature, while Episodic memory is that which refers to particular events (that is, episodes) of one's own lifetime. Furthermore, unlike episodic memory, semantic memory is not personal but common to all who speak the same language; for example, the memory "man is a mammal" is part of semantic memory, while the memory "in the primary school I learned that man is a mammal "is part of episodic memory (and in particular of memory autobiographical).

What is causing the semantic memory loss? See why a semantic memory failure can occur:

• The semantic dementia is a disorder associated with semantic memory, a language disorder characterized by impaired understanding and recognition of words. Disabilities include difficulties generating familiar words, difficulties naming objects, and difficulties with visual recognition.
• The semantic aphasias There are three, and they are characterized by disturbances of the semantic system causing typical errors in the production phase: semantic Wernicke's aphasia, sensory transcortical aphasia, dynamic aphasia of Luria.
• The Alzheimer disease it is (also) a disorder of semantic memory, which results in errors in the description and naming of objects. Learn more about him Alzheimer's: what is it, symptoms, causes, phases and treatment.
• The alteration of semantic memory is observed in several pathologies, such as in the Mental retardation, in the dementias, in the psychosis, on the epilepsy focal temporal lobe.

In the following article, we talk about the Memory psychopathologies.

How to improve? Let's look at some semantic memory exercises for old and young:

1. Put in the categories. Subjects are asked to classify the material presented element by element, that is, to classify it in previously indicated categories. The difficulty of the exercises depends on the number of categories in which it is requested to organize the material and on its familiarity for the subjects.
2. Organize the categories. Another way of working on semantic memory. People are asked to organize a series of items into independently identified categories. The progression of difficulty of the exercises depends on the same conditions indicated for the first level: number of categories and familiarity of the material.
3. Complete the categories. Subjects are asked to find other elements that can be inserted into already organized categories. The difficulty of the exercises becomes progressively increasing in relation to the degree of familiarity and specificity of the material (frequency of use and image value).
4. Complete the story. Incomplete histories are presented to the subjects. You are asked to complete them by adding an element to choose from among several alternatives. The difficulty of the exercises depends on the type of story presented (figurative or written, concrete or abstract, etc.) and the number of alternatives provided.
5. Build the story. Another way to improve semantic memory is as follows: subjects are presented with various unrelated elements (pictures, names, etc.) and are asked to construct a story about they. The difficulty of the exercises depends on the type of elements (more or less concrete and relatable) and their number.

Meet others Games to improve memory.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Semantic memory: what it is, characteristics and exercises to improve it, we recommend that you enter our category of Neuropsychology.

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• Pinel, J. P. J., Barnes, S. J. (2018). Psychobiology. Milan: Edra.
• Zannino, G. D. (2003). The semantic disturbance. Theoretical inquiry, valutazione e trattamento. Milan: Springer-Verlag.