Long term memory

long term memory taxonomy

explicit

→ semantic

→ episodic

implicit

→ procedural

→ statistical

→ priming

→ contextual

explicit memory

the ability to consciously remember and report facts, events, and associations

also sometimes called declarative or conscious memory

semantic memory

part of explicit memory

facts and knowledge that can be stated and recounted

examples:

how tall are you

who wrote your favorite novel

recognition memory

part of semantic memory (which is part of explicit memory)

involves two kinds of subjective experience:

→familiarity: “I known I’ve heard that name somewhere”

→recollection: conscious experience of remembering the details

episodic memory

part of explicit memory

memory for specific experiences and events in your past

examples:

the memory of your first day at college

the memory of where you were when Biden was elected

autobiographical memory

part of explicit memory

a complex blend of self-relevant memories that form a coherent personal narrative, encompassing both general self-information and specific past events, such as episodic-autobiographical memories

HSAM

highly superior autobiographical memory

an uncanny ability to recollect an abundance of detail pertaining to autobiographical memories

SDAM

severely deficient autobiographical memory

can not vividly recollect autobiographical experiences but are otherwise cognitively healthy

implicit memory

skills and habits that are learned but are usually not easily consciously accessible

it is revealed through performance rather than recollection

and it is less susceptible to forgetting

examples:

how to ride a bike

how to run

how to speak

procedural memory

part of implicit memory

the acquisition of skills and habits

examples:

knowing how to steer a car

stability and balance on a scooter

priming

part of implicit memory

when prior exposure to a related stimulus improves your ability to recognize or respond to a stimulus

repetition priming

people are faster to recognize items they have seen recently

associative priming

people are faster to decide whether “candy” is a real word or not when previously exposed to “sweet” in lexical decision tasks

perceptual priming

people are faster to decide that “cat” is a real word when previously exposed to “cot”

conceptual priming

people are faster to decide that “dog” is a real word when previously exposed to “cat”

contextual cuing

part of implicit memory

learning where to attend and what to expect based on statistical regularities

“when shown a picture of a dorm room and asked to look for a pillow, you will first scan the bed and not the desk of the bookcase”

Startin to see the bigger picture

→ implicit memory influences attention (e.g. contextual cuing)

→ implicit memory influences perception (e.g. amodal completion, object recognition)

→ attention influences memory (e.g., the central executive)

→ attention influences perception (e.g. spatial attentional selection)