Physiology · Central Nervous System

Memory and learning

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Definition

  • Learning is acquirement of information or knowledge by experience that alters behaviour; memory is retention of learned information for later retrieval.
  • Memory has four stages: registration, retention, recall, and reutilization.

Classification of Learning and Memory

Types of memory

Category

Explicit (declarative)

Subtypes
Semantic memory (facts), episodic memory (events); each has short-term and long-term forms

Implicit (nondeclarative)

Subtypes
Priming; procedural memory (skills, habits); associative learning (classical and operant conditioning); nonassociative learning (habituation, sensitization)