The Principle of Multiple Memory Systems

Abstract

One of the guiding principles of memory research is that different types of memory systems need to be assumed in order to explain differences in learning and performance. Some of these distinctions are relatively uncontroversial (e.g., the distinction between working memory and long-term memory), but some are not (e.g., the distinction between episodic and semantic memory). This chapter examines the validity of these distinctions and analyzes theoretical alternatives. Distinctions between memory systems are discussed at three levels: descriptive, functional and neural.