"Professor’s Office"[img]2012q1/ct_etoefm_etoeflistz_1449_20121[/img] [br] When

[Narrator] Listen to part of a conversation between a student and a professor.
[Student] Professor Collins. I’m really sorry. I mean... These are my daughters. They’re twins. I
wouldn’t ordinarily bring them to an appointment, but the babysitter didn’t show up, and
I couldn’t leave them. I didn’t want to cancel. I hope it’s okay.
[Professor] It’s okay. I have three kids of my own, and I’ve been in the same situation.
[Student] Thanks. Well, this shouldn’t take much of your time. I really just have one question.
[Professor] All right.
[Student] I’m having a problem understanding the difference between declarative memory, and  Q1
procedural memory. I think from my notes that they’re both examples of...let me
see... I have it down here... "Declarative and procedural memory are two broad
types of memory circuits in long-term memory."
[Professor] That’s right. But you need to distinguish between them.
[Student] Exactly.
[Professor] Okay, well, declarative memory is a memory that links us to a fact. Like a name or a
date or even an experience.
[Student] So when I remember a professor’s name when I see him, that’s declarative memory?
[Professor] Yes, at its most basic level, it is. But declarative memory also includes problem solving.
Like today, when you decided to bring your daughters to my office, you were using
declarative memory to access previous experiences and facts that would allow you to
make a decision.
[Student] Oh, right. I remember your example in class. That makes sense now. You were talking
about problem solving by recalling experiences. But wasn’t that episodic memory?
[Professor] Very good. Yes, it’s called episodic memory. But declarative memory includes episodic
memory, which is the ability to access prior experiences or personal episodes in our
life, usually for the purpose of making a decision or solving a problem. So episodic  Q2
memory is a subcategory of declarative memory, so to speak. And semantic memory is
just the storehouse of facts, that we have in our memory circuits...
[Student] ... which is also a subcategory of declarative memory?
[Professor] Precisely.
[Student] Okay. Then procedural memory doesn’t include facts or experiences.
[Professor] Not directly, no. Procedural memory refers to skills that we’ve learned and are now  Q3
remembering in order to... to perform the skill without really thinking much about it.
Like, for example, riding a bike or... or do you play a musical instrument?
[Student] Piano, sort of. Not really.
[Professor] Okay. Well, when you ride a bike then, you aren’t thinking about the name of every part
of the bike and how to use the handle bars or the pedals... or at least not consciously.
[Student] No.
[Professor] But at some level, you are remembering how to do these things, so you are using your
memory.
[Student] And that would be procedural memory.
[Professor] Yes, it would.
[Student] Okay, then. That’s why you said that declarative memory can be more rapidly learned,
but it can also be more rapidly forgotten—because a fact can come and go in the memory.
But procedural memory takes repetition and practice, so it’s harder to unlearn. I’m
not saying that very well.
[Professor] But you have the idea. Often with declarative memory, you’re consciously trying to
remember, but with procedural memory, you’re performing a skill without consciously
trying to recall how... without each step in the process.
[Student] That’s what l mean  But...
[Professor] Yes?
[Student] Well, I was thinking about language: When my girls were learning to talk...
[Professor] Oh, I see where you are going. You want to know whether language learning is declarative or procedural.
[Student] Yeah.
[Professor] What do you think?
[Student] I was thinking that maybe it’s both? Because you have to memorize vocabulary, but
eventually, it’s more like a skill... like riding a bike... because you don’t think about
each individual word. It’s more... more automatic. Urn. Do you see what I mean?
[Professor] A very good analysis. I think you’ve got this.  Q4
[Student] Okay. Well, thanks a lot.
[Professor] And, uh, if you ever need to ask me a question and it’s... hard to get in to see me, just
drop me an e-mail.
[Student] I thought about that, but...
[Professor] Look, I’m always glad to see you, but I answer a lot of questions like this by e-mail  Q5
every day and if it’s easier for you, that’s fine with me.
[Student] That’s very kind of you. Thank you so much.