The four general types of memories are sensory memory, short-term memory, working memory, and long-term memory.
Long-term memory can be further categorized as either implicit (unconscious) or explicit (conscious).
4 Main Types of Memories
For years, researchers and experts have debated the classification of memories.
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Memory is sometimes also classified into stages and processes.
Sensory Memory
Sensory memoryallows you to remember sensory information after the stimulation has ended.
Remembering the sensation of a persons touch or a sound you heard in passing is sensory memory.
Typically, sensory memory only holds onto information for brief periods.
It might move to your short-term memory or more permanently to your long-term memory.
Short-term memory is not as fleeting as sensory memory, but its also not as permanent as long-term memory.
Short-term memory is also known as primary or active memory.
it’s possible for you to keep information in your short-term memory by rehearsing the information.
Long-term Memory
We store a vast majority of our memories in ourlong-term memory.
Any memory we can still recall after 30 seconds could be classified as long-term memory.
There is no limit to how much our long-term memory can hold and for how long.
We can further split long-term memory into two main categories: explicit and implicit long-term memory.
Explicit Long-term Memory
Explicit long-term memories are memories we consciously and deliberately take time to form and recall.
Explicit memory holds information such as your best friends birthday or your phone number.
In general, explicit memories can be episodic or semantic.
Conditions such asAlzheimers diseaseheavily affect explicit memories.
Implicit Long-term Memory
We are not as deliberate with forming implicit memories as we are with explicit ones.
Implicit memories form unconsciously and might affectthe way a person thinksand behaves.
Implicit memory often comes into play when we are learning motor skills like walking or riding a bike.
We can retrieve long-term memories in a few different ways.
The three types ofmemory retrievalare recall, recognition, and relearning.
Why Do We Have Different Types of Memory?
Each different bang out of memory we have is important, and they all have various functions.
Your short-term memory allows you to process and understand the information in an instant.
When you read a paragraph in a book and understand it, thats your short-term memory at work.
Your most treasured and important memories are held in your long-term memory.
Your long-term memory facilitates how to walk, talk, ride a bike, and engage in daily activities.
It also allows you to recall important dates and facts.
In your day-to-day activities, you are bound to find yourself relying on your long-term memory the most.
How These Types of Memories Are Formed
Memories are made in three distinct stages.
It starts with encoding.
Encoding is the way external stimuli and information make their way into your brain.
This could occur through any ofyour five senses.
The next stage is storage, where the information we take in is stored.
The final stage is recall.
Recall is our ability to retrieve the memory weve made from where it is stored.
This process also outlines how sensory memory might be turned into short-term memory or short-term memory into long-term memory.
How to Improve Your Memory
Its commonplace to hear people complain about havingpoor memory.
When we venture to recall information and cant, we feel that our memory has failed us.
Here are a couple oftips to improve your memory:
Stangor C, Walinga J.9.
1 Memories as types and stages.
In:Introduction to Psychology 1st Canadian Edition.
2017;8:438. doi:10.3389/fphar.2017.00438
Duke University.How long is short-term memory?
Queensland Brain Institute.Types of memory.
University of Central Florida.Retrieval.General Psychology.
Harvard Health Publishing.7 ways to keep your memory sharp at any age.
