The memory It is an essential psychological process to encode, store and retrieve information. It is a very useful psychic faculty, through which we can retain and remember the past.
This recovery can occur involuntarily or deliberately. In the same way, there is information that is lost quickly and others that remain in our memory for a lifetime.
There are different types of memory that can be classified according to different criteria: its duration, content, level of consciousness, etc. We review the main classifications.
Types of memory according to their duration
Sensory memory
It is what preserves the information we receive through the senses for a very short period of time. All external sensory information (smells, images, sounds, flavors) that remains in memory for an instant before being processed and dissipated.
short term memory
Short-term memory is what we use to analyze what is happening, understand it and be able to react correctly. This entire process occurs very briefly. Allows retention, reasoning and reflection
Short-term memory enables working memory or operational memory, which allows us to store and manipulate stored information, as well as associate it with other ideas. It comes into play in reading and logical-mathematical skills, among other processes.
long term memory
It is what allows us to store information without time or capacity limits. Data from short-term memory can move into long-term memory through repetition or emotional association.
Types of memory depending on content
Content-based types of memory are types of long-term memory. They are divided into three large groups:
Episodic memory
It is the one that refers to concrete events, to our own experiences. This is biographical content. This way, we can remember where we were last Saturday or what gift they gave us for our birthday.
Semantic memory
It is a file of knowledge that includes facts, data and concepts, as well as vocabulary. Example: what year did man arrive on the Moon, what is the capital of Italy, what river passes through Paris, etc.
Procedural memory
This is the name that stores motor skills and abilities. For example, walking, driving, playing a musical instrument, etc.
Types of memory depending on the level of consciousness
Implicit memory
The one that does not need a conscious effort to retrieve the information. For example, tying our shoes.
Explicit or declarative memory
The one that does need said conscious effort. For example, remembering the answer to an exam question or remembering a phone number.
Retrospective memory
It is what we use when we go back in time to remember something that already happened, for example, which restaurant we went to last weekend.
Prospective memory
When we need to anticipate the future to obtain information about something that will happen. For example, what day we have a visit to the dentist.
Before finishing, it must be made clear that The different types of memory are related to each other and overlap. For example, episodic memory is a type of long-term memory; Biographical memory needs semantic memory to use words or concepts that have just given it meaning, etc.
.