Memory

Memory is the ability to acquire, store, retain, and recall information. It allows us to learn and adapt from our past experiences and helps us live our lives independently. There are three types of memory: sensory, short-term, and long-term. Each of these have different functions.

https://human-memory.net/types-of-memory/

Sensory Memory

Sensory memory is the first component of memory retrieval and consists of five senses (i.e., visual, auditory, tactile [touch], gustatory [taste], and olfactory [smell]). It allows us to process and make sense of our world. Sensory memory briefly stores information and lasts only about a second.

Sensory Memory Type	Definition	Example
Visual	Attending to and processing the visual information you are seeing such as an object, word, or picture	Showing you a card and putting it face down Seeing a dog that runs by you
Auditory	Attending to and processing information the information you hear	Hearing and recalling someone’s name
Tactile	Attending to and processing information you feel	Describing what a peach you just touch felt like (e.g., fuzzy and firm)
Gustatory	Attending to and processing information you taste	Realizing the salsa you ate was too hot
Olfactory	Attending to and processing information you smell	Smelling a barbeque outside

Impairments and strategies for all senses would include using other available senses.

Impairments	Strategies
Visual	Touching object Hearing words or descriptions
Auditory	Reading or seeing information Touching objects
Tactile	Visual looking at items when reaching into a purse
Gustatory	Smelling the food before eating it
Olfactory	Using an augmentative and alternative communication devices (AAC) device Using vision such as reading captions when watching a movie

Short-term Memory

Short-term memory, also known as working memory, is the second component of memory retrieval. It is information that is stored and recalled for a relatively short period of time. It allows us to hold information in our mind temporarily so it can be available to use at a later time (i.e., recalling a phone number after it has been recited).

Short-term memory usually lasts from 15 to 30 seconds and can hold about 5 to 9 items. Impairments or deficits in short-term memory can lead to:

Asking the same questions repeatedly

Forgetting recent events
Inability to remember something seen, heard, or read recently

There are two strategies that an individual with an impaired short-term memory can use. They are called chunking and rehearsal.

Strategy

Definition

Example

Chunking

Taking individual pieces of information and grouping them into larger pieces

Breaking down your list of groceries into categories

Frozen Food: Ice cream, Frozen pizza
Dairy: Eggs, Milk, Cheese

Grouping a phone number into a bigger set, i.e., 9093458957 to (909) 345-8957

Rehearsal

Repeating information over and over again so it can be processed and stored as a memory

Repeating a phone number to yourself out loud

Long Term Memory

Long-term memory is the last stage of memory retrieval. It is the storage of information over an extended period of time. There are two types of long-term memory: explicit and implicit.

Explicit Memory

Explicit memory is one of the two types of long term memory. It allows you to store and consciously recall information based on facts, events, or concepts. Another term for explicit memory is called declarative memory. Explicit memory can be divided into episodic and semantic memories.

Type of Explicit Memory	Definition	Example
Episodic Memory	Recalling personal events, experiences, and facts.	Your high school graduation year Your favorite meal for breakfast
Semantic Memory	Recalling learned information such as general events and facts	Remembering that Christmas day is on December 25th.

Strategies for impairments with explicit long term memory includes:

Using a desk or phone calendar to write important events or to remember holidays
Utilize several study strategies to learn the information (e.g., watching videos and listening videos or reading more information online)
Connect and relate the information to previous experiences

Find connections and make it meaningful

Fully attend to the information you are focusing on
Rehearse information often to help store into your long term memory
Quiz yourself on information by using flashcards

Implicit Memory

Implicit memory is the other type of long term memory. It is not consciously recalled and allows us to perform skills, habits, and automatic behaviors, such as driving a car. There are two types of implicit memory: procedural memory and priming.

Type of Implicit Memory	Definition	Example
Procedural Memory	A type of memory that allows us to store information on how to follow certain procedures	Riding a bike Buttoning a shirt Brushing your teeth
Priming	A cognitive process that occurs when exposure to something can change someone’s thoughts or behavior later	Screaming at the sight of a spider after watching a scary movie about spiders Having violent thoughts after playing a violent video game