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Episodic versus Semantic (Generalized) Tasks


Episodic tasks refer to a specific context ("Where did I park my car this morning?")

Semantic (Generalized) tasks integrate information over a large number of experiences




Table 1: Examples of Episodic/Semantic Tasks and Matching/Retrieval Tasks (adapted from Humphreys, Bain & Pike, 1989)


Use of Context Cue
Access ProcessEpisodic MemorySemantic Memory
Matching
produces a rating value
RecognitionFamiliarity Rating
Retrieval
produces a word
Cued RecallFree Association