Final answer:
Evidence for STM and LTM as different processes includes the case of patient H.M., psychological studies on memory decay and interference, as well as the differing nature of explicit and implicit memories within LTM. Neuroscientific and experimental studies demonstrate that they are supported by separate brain structures and exhibit distinct behavioral characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Evidence supporting the differentiation between Short Term Memory (STM) and Long Term Memory (LTM) can be found in neuroscientific case studies, psychological experiments, and brain imaging research. For instance, the case of patient H.M. provided strong evidence. Despite losing his medial temporal lobe, H.M. retained most of his previous long-term memories and the ability to form new short-term memories, suggesting that STM and LTM are supported by different brain structures. The prefrontal lobe is implicated in STM, while the consolidation of STM to LTM requires the hippocampus and medial temporal structures.
Other experimental studies have shown distinct processes affecting STM and LTM. For example, Peterson and Peterson's study highlighted the rapid decay of STM within seconds, demonstrating that information in STM is highly transient. Alternatively, Keppel and Underwood's work on proactive interference indicated how new learning in STM could be hindered by existing memories, a concept less applicable to LTM which has a more robust and unlimited capacity for storage after consolidation.
Additionally, the existence of different forms of LTM, such as explicit and implicit memory, provides further evidence. Explicit memory, subdivided into semantic and episodic memory, relies on conscious recall and is often affected by brain trauma differently than implicit memory, which includes memories of skills and procedures that are not consciously recalled. The separation in these memory types and their differing responses to aging and injury suggest that STM and LTM are indeed differing cognitive processes.