Types of Memory
Memory is the brain’s ability to store and retrieve information. The types of information that are stored can be categorized into three sections:
Sensory memory: The briefest type of memory which entails the different senses an individual is feeling at the current moment.
Short-term memory: This type of memory is also short, though with effort can become long-term memory. Short-term memories usually last for less than a minute.
Long-term memory: As the name suggests, these memories are more long-lasting, spanning from days to years.
Both implicit and explicit memory are types of long-term memory but include different processes to remember certain information.
Brain Structures in Memory
Both implicit and explicit memory entail variations in brain anatomy. Implicit memory is thought to employ the cerebellum, which is important for procedural memories, and the basal ganglia, which controls sequential movement. The basal ganglia aid in the control of emotions and the establishment of habits. The neocortex also plays a role in implicit memory. Furthermore, the amygdala is involved in both implicit and explicit memory. The hippocampus, which is located near the amygdala, on the other hand, is extensively engaged with explicit memory.
Types of Implicit Memory
Implicit memory, also known as non-declarative memory, refers to the unconscious or automatic recall of information that governs our daily decisions. This type of memory is dependent on the utilization of prior experiences to optimize the execution of comparable activities. Implicit memory is used in situations like singing along to the radio or riding your bike.
Procedural Learning: A form of implicit memory related to the performance of a specific activity, whether cognitive or motor. Speaking, playing a video game, or riding a bike are some examples.
Priming: A category of implicit memory that involves analyzing words or objects and identifying them to elicit a certain reaction. One example is seeing a competitive team member and becoming more competitive.
Category Learning: A sort of implicit memory linked with classifying a varied group of goods efficiently.
Perceptual Learning: An implicit memory type connected with perception. One example is differentiating similar objects from one another.
Emotional Learning: A sort of implicit memory connected with autobiographical memories and the influence of emotions on a person.
Types of Explicit Memory
The polar opposite of implicit memory is explicit memory, also known as declarative memory. It focuses on retaining knowledge intentionally, namely facts and events. An example of employing explicit memory is trying to recall an equation for a test.
Episodic memory is a sort of explicit memory that is related to specific events, such as what you ate for supper the night before.
Semantic memory is a sort of explicit memory connected with broad knowledge memories such as concepts, names, and facts.
Influences on Memory
Stress and emotions are two variables that impact the creation of both categories of memory. A study revealed that excessive levels of stress affect working memory, which is necessary for building explicit memories. Furthermore, stress or depressive moods cause a significant creation of negative emotional information stored in implicit memories. Normal day fluctuations, on the other hand, have no such effect. Furthermore, explicit memory declines with aging and implicit memories are frequently preserved.
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