Psychologists have extensively studied learning and the application of memory to this process. In this study different types of memory have been distinguished and, among them, we highlight the declarative, which we will explain below in this article in Psychology-Online.
In this area, you should know that declarative memory (or explicit memory) is a concept introduced by Larry Squire in 1987, and it is a type of memory accessible to knowledge that can be recalled verbally or not. verbally. Do you want to know more about this topic? In this article we will analyze together what is declarative memory, its types, characteristics and examples.
Index
- What is declarative memory
- types of declarative memory
- Characteristics of declarative memory
- declarative memory examples
What is declarative memory.
declarative memory contains the memories of episodes of life and those related to the general background of the individual. It represents the overcoming of the dichotomy between semantic and episodic memory, opposing
People use declarative memory on a daily basis, remembering, for example, the time of an appointment or an event from years ago: declarative memory, in effect, involves conscious recollection, regarding procedural or implicit memory, which is a form of unconscious, non-intentional memory.
Remembering a specific driving lesson is an example of explicit memory, while improved driving skill as a result of the lesson is an example of implicit memory or process.
Types of declarative memory.
Now that you know what declarative memory is, it will be easier for you to understand its different types:
episodic memory
This type of declarative memory consists of the storage and recall of observational information. associated with specific life events. These may be memories that directly happened to the subject or just memories of events that happened around them.
Episodic memory allows for "mental time travel," recalling various contextual and situational details of previous experiences. An example of episodic memory is the memory of storing carry-on luggage while boarding a plane to a specific destination on a specific day and time.
The retrieval of these episodic memories can be thought of as the action of mentally revive in detail past events that affect us. It is believed that episodic memory it is the system that provides basic support for semantic memory.
semantic memory
It refers to general knowledge of the world (facts, ideas, meanings, and concepts) that can be articulated and independent of personal experience. This includes knowledge of the world, knowledge of objects, knowledge of language, and conceptual priming.
Semantic memory is distinct from episodic memory, which is our recollection of specific experiences and events that occur during our lifetimes. Know in detail the dissimilarities in our post Difference Between Episodic and Semantic Memory.
To serve as an example, semantic type declarative memory might contain information about what is a cat, while the episodic memory might contain a memory specific to petting a cat in particular.
We can also learn new concepts applying our knowledge acquired in the past. Other examples of semantic memory include types of food, capital cities of a geographic region, or the vocabulary of a common language, as well as the specific vocabulary of a person.
autobiographical memory
It is defined as a declarative memory system made up of episodes collected from the life of an individual, based on a combination of episodic memories (personal experiences and specific objects, people and events lived in a certain time and place) and semantic memories (general knowledge and facts about the world that directly affect us).
spatial memory
It is the part of declarative memory responsible for recording information about your environment and your spatial orientation. For example, a person's spatial memory is needed to move within a familiar city, as is that it takes a mouse's spatial memory to learn the location of food at the end of a maze.
It is often claimed that, in both humans and animals, spatial memories are summarized in a cognitive map. Furthermore, spatial memory has representations within working, short-term, and long-term memory. Research indicates that there are specific areas of the brain associated with spatial memory.
Characteristics of declarative memory.
Next, we will see the main features of declarative memory, which includes episodic, semantic, autobiographical and spatial memory, as we have already seen.
- It has a neural structure: these structures that are involved in declarative memory, are mostly located in the temporal lobe or closely related to it, such as lto tonsil, the hippocampus, the rhinal cortex in the temporal lobe, and the prefrontal cortex.
- It is made up of nuclei in the thalamus: This is so since many connections between the prefrontal cortex and the temporal cortex pass through the thalamus.
- Receives connections from the neocortex: These connections occur because the regions that constitute the declarative memory circuit receive connections from the neocortex and from systems of the brain. brainstem, including the acetylcholine, serotonin, and norepinephrine systems.
Examples of declarative memory.
Throughout our lives we learn many things, for example, that the capital of Thailand is Bangkok, or that Darth Vade is the father of Luke Skywalker. We also store memories of life events, such as "Yesterday's neuroscience exam was fun" or "I went swimming with my dog named Marley when I was 5 years old."
These examples are part of the declarative memory functions. Namely, memories of facts and events They are defined as declarative memories. Remembering a poem or a phone number by heart and being able to call it up and declare it at any time is a classic exercise in declarative memory.
If you have found this article useful on what declarative memory is, we recommend you expand your knowledge on the subject with our posts types of human memory.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Declarative memory: what it is, types, characteristics and examples, we recommend that you enter our category of neuropsychology.
Bibliography
- Kolb, B. and Whishab, I. (2003). human neuropsychology. Paramericana Medical Publishing House.
Declarative memory: what it is, types, characteristics and examples
