Identify three types of long-term memory and give an example of each type

Long-term memory is one of the two storage types of memory. Long-term memories are memories that we are able to keep over a timescale of a couple of minutes to a whole lifetime. There are two types of long-term memory, declarative and non-declarative, and these can be further subdivided into different categories depending on what is being remembered. Declarative memories are memories for things we are able to consciously recall and is also known as explicit memory. There are two types of declarative memory. Semantic memory is the memory of facts and our understanding of the world around us. Semantic memory formation is independent of personal experience or the context in which the information was learned. An example of semantic memory would be that Christmas day is the 25th December. The other type of declarative memory is episodic memory. Episodic memory is the memory of events and experiences in our life and is also known as autobiographical memory. Recall of autobiographic memory often involves an individual reliving the memory, with the memory having an emotional memory trace. An example of an episodic memory would be opening your a level results and finding out that you got into your first choice of university. Encoding, storage, and recall of declarative memories requires the use of frontal and temporal lobes in the brain, including areas such as the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex.

Non-declarative memory is another form of long-term memory and is also known as implicit, or procedural memory. Non-declarative memories are usually formed by repetition of motor movements and are not something you are able to recall as one specific time, event or fact. An example of non-declarative memory would be learning to ride a bike without stabilisers. Encoding, storage and use of non-declarative memory requires the use of brainstem structures such as the cerebellum, but also requires cortical brain areas such as the motor cortex too.