Blog Different Types of Memory

General types of memory:

• working memory
• sensory memory
• short-term memory
• long-term memory

Working Memory


Working memory is similar to short-term memory. However, unlike the latter, working memory is where a person manipulates information.

solving a complex math problem where a person must remember several numbers
baking something, which requires a person to recall the ingredients they already added
participating in a debate, during which a person must remember the main arguments and the evidence each side uses


Sensory Memory

Sensory memory holds sensory information for very brief periods of time, usually 1 second or less. The processing of memories and other information begins in this type of memory.
If a person pays attention to sensory input, then the information may move into short-term and then long-term memory.
Some examples of sensory memory include:
registering the sounds a person encounters on a walk
briefly acknowledging something in a person’s field of vision

Long-term memory 
Long-term memory stores a wide range of memories and experiences.
Most memories that people recall, especially those older than about 30 seconds, are part of long-term memory.
Many researchers divide long-term memory into two subcategories: implicit and explicit.

• Explicit long-term memory
• Explicit memories are conscious memories of events, autobiographical facts, or things a person learns.
• Some types of explicit long-term memory include the following.

• Episodic memory
• These are memories of events or autobiographical facts. Examples of episodic memory include remembering an election, events from childhood, and personal facts, such as if someone is married.

• Semantic memory
• Semantic memories are general knowledge about the world. A person may remember a fact or event that they did not experience because they learned or studied it.
• For instance, knowing what the human heart looks like is an example of semantic memory. However, it would be an episodic memory if the person can remember dissecting a pig heart in school.

• Implicit long-term memory
• Implicit memories are memories that influence a person’s behavior. However, people do not consciously think about them.
• Some types of this memory include the following.

• Procedural memory
• Procedural memory helps a person perform familiar tasks, such as walking or driving.
• At first, they might have to learn to do these things and remember specific skills, but eventually, these tasks become an automatic part of procedural memory.

• Priming
• Priming occurs when experiences influenceTrusted Source a person’s behavior.
• For example, a smoker might crave a cigarette after a meal, or an experimenter might train a person to press a button in response to a photo.
• Classical and operant conditioning both prime people or animals to perform specific behaviors in response to certain experiences.

Short-term memory
Short-term memory allows a person to recall a limited string of information for a short period.
These memories disappear quickly, after about 30 secondsTrusted Source.
Short-term memory is not just memory that does not last long. Instead, it is a type of short-lived storage that can only hold a few pieces of information.
Some examples of short-term memory include:

remembering a string of 5–7 words and repeating it back
remembering a phone number while getting a pen to jot it down