There are various classifications of memory based on different criteria. The most basic and the one that we all know is the duration; that is, the time that the information remains saved and available to be retrieved and used. Thus, we find the following:
sensory memory
Sensory memory retains for a very short time the information that we constantly receive through the senses. Sounds, smells, images, and other sensory data remain in memory for barely a second before being processed and fading away.
Short-term memory and working memory
Short-term memory (STM) allows us to keep information available for about a minute. This is the time we need to analyze what is happening around us, understand it and be able to react appropriately.
Sometimes data held in short-term memory needs to be manipulated in some way, and this is where working memory (or working memory) comes into play. This allows us to keep active the elements we need to perform a task while we are executing it. For example, when we mentally add up the price of all the food we have bought at the store to determine if we have enough money.
long term memory
Long-term memory (MLP) can store information without limits of time or capacity. Data or knowledge can pass from the MCP to the MLP through repetition (for example, when we study) or through association with emotions.
Types of memory depending on the content
semantic memory
It stores theoretical information, which is not directly related to our own experiences. It is a repository of general knowledge that includes vocabulary, facts, and concepts.
For example, it allows us to remember who is the president of the country, what is the capital of Germany, or what kind of animal is a lion.
episodic memory
Retains autobiographical information or information referring to our own experiences and past experiences. This memory allows us to remember who our first love was, what we did last weekend or what they gave us on the day of our communion.
procedural memory
This type of memory is involved in the recall of motor skills and abilities. It guides our activity and is responsible for allowing us to drive, write, play an instrument or prepare a well-known recipe automatically.
Other types of memory
Depending on the level of consciousness, we can distinguish between:
- Implicit memory: does not require a conscious effort to retrieve the information. For example, sing a song you know perfectly well or tie your shoes.
- Explicit or declarative memory: requires a deliberate effort to remember. For example, when retrieving a phone number to dial or answering a question on a test.
On the other hand, depending on the temporal direction, we find the following:
- Retrospective memory: when we go back in time to remember something that has already happened. For example, what did we have for dinner last night?
- Prospective memory: when we go to the future to remember something that will happen. For example, what day and at what time do we have the next medical check-up.
