Memory and active learning

TheThreeKnowledge-MemorySystemsThatGuideYourLifePsychologyToday.pdf

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Gregg Henriques Ph.D.

Theory of Knowledge

MEMORY

The Three Knowledge-Memory Systems That Guide Your Life They are: semantic, episodic, and procedural. Posted April 13, 2013 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

KEY POINTS

Knowledge is stored in three different kinds of long-term memory systems: semantic, episodic, and procedural.

The semantic system stores factual knowledge about rules, norms, math or logic, and historical events.

The episodic memory stores sensory-perceptual-affective experiences.

Procedural memories are largely not conscious.

When discussing memory systems, it seems the most common point made is re‐

garding the difference between short- and long-term memory. It seems pretty

well-known that short-term memory operates over a period of seconds to minutes

and has limited operating space (i.e., the famous 7 +/- 2 items), whereas long-term

memory has a potentially infinite storage capacity and the material placed in

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memory has a potentially infinite storage capacity and the material placed in

long-term memory is much more stable.

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In my experience, people are much less cognizant of the fact that knowledge is

stored in three different kinds of long-term memory systems. Yet this is crucial be‐

cause it speaks volumes about how our minds are organized.

To get a handle on these memory systems, let me ask you three questions:

1. Do you know if wearing a helmet while riding your bike is a law or not?

2. Do you recall when you first were learning how to ride a bike, perhaps the

time you skinned your knee?

3. Can you hop on a bike and ride it now without a problem?

The knowledge you have in regard to these questions comes from three very dif‐

ferent memory systems. If you knew the answer to the first question about helmet

laws, you retrieved it from your semantic memory system. The semantic system

stores your factual knowledge about rules, norms, math or logic, and historical

events. Answers to such questions as, “Who was Jimmy Carter’s vice president?”

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events. Answers to such questions as, “Who was Jimmy Carter’s vice president?”

“How many protons are in a Helium atom?” “What is six cubed?” and “What is the

legal drinking age in Canada?” are all stored in your semantic knowledge system.

Think of the semantic system as your stored encyclopedia of definitional and con‐

ceptual knowledge.

Now go back to the time you skinned your knee. Maybe you recall your dad run‐

ning behind your bike, the thrill you felt as he let you go, then the fear as the bike

wobbled, the pain as your knee struck the pavement, and the comfort your dad

offered as he ran up to you. The episodic memory stores your sensory-perceptu‐

al-affective experiences. They are normally stored as visual gestalts (sequenced

images), from a particular point of view (yours), and are usually stored based on

their affective valence (the stronger the emotional association with the experi‐

ence, the greater the likelihood you will recall—you almost certainly don’t remem‐

ber the third time you rode your bike around the neighborhood without falling).

Episodic-affective memories are the kind that are inhibited when people are try‐

ing to force themselves to forget some distressing experience (e.g., PTSD vets

avoiding flashbacks).

Although stored in different systems, both semantic and episodic memories are

called “declarative” memory systems. This basically means that they are accessi‐

ble to self-conscious awareness and people can report (i.e., declare) that they are

present (or not).

Now, for the third question. Tell me, exactly, how it is that you are able to ride a

bike. People answer this the same way. “I basically get on the bike and ride it,"

which, of course, does not answer the question at all. At most, people will have

some basic conceptual rules (e.g., it is important to get one’s speed up quickly

because it is a lot easier to balance while you are moving). But even these basic

rules may not be present. Complicated action patterns are stored in a totally dif‐

ferent memory system called procedural memory.

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ferent memory system called procedural memory.

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Procedural memories are largely nonconscious, as is evident by the fact that you

can’t introspect and see them. The fact that procedural learning can take place

completely independently of the more conscious, declarative memory systems

was brought into very clear relief by one of the most famous patients in psycholo‐

gy, HM.

HM had bad seizures and was operated on in a way that knocked out his ability

to lay down new conscious memories. Thus, if you came in and saw HM, asked

him a few questions, left for an hour, and came back, he would not recall you at

all. However, researchers found they could teach HM procedures, such as draw‐

ing in a mirror or playing a game. He would deny he had any recollection of doing

such activities, yet he was able to learn them as almost effectively as someone

who had full conscious recall abilities, hence the clear separation of procedural

from declarative memory systems.

The main point to understand is that you navigate your world by integrating these

systems to act with purpose as a coordinated whole.

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About the Author

Gregg Henriques, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at James Madison University.

Online: This website is the home of the Unified Theory of

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