Memory Retention This essay was designed to give background on the information-processing approach of cognition

To effectively study memory it is first necessary to categorize different types of memory. There are dozens of ways to divide the specific types of memory. These concise categories all have very different characteristics and the acknowledgement of different types of memory makes the broad topic more manageable. First, there may be a distinction made between long term memory, short term memory, and working memory. Within the long-term memory, there are two main divisions: semantic …

…where events that have been encoded in memory and have been previously recalled become inaccessible. This information will most likely become available again; however, the recall may need to be assisted. This assistance often comes from cues in the environment, which make the memory more salient. Consequently, cue words are determined by a person's current plans and expectations. A person's sets of cues are continually being updated. This keeps one oriented to time and place.