What is Episodic Memory?

episodic-memory

AnnaMarie Houlis

The brain is not just an organ; it’s an incredible storage “device” that safeguards the memories that define us and influence our choices.

Among the various types of memories we form, there’s one that stands out. It captures our emotions, sensations and the context of our experiences: episodic memory. 

Let’s dive in.

Episodic Memory

Episodic memory is like the mind’s personal scrapbook, and each page is filled with snapshots of moments that make us feel alive.

Remember your first day at a new job? The nerve, new faces and the thrill of starting something completely new? But if you ask a coworker about that same day, they might remember it differently. That’s because each person’s scrapbook memory is special and unique to them.

Episodic vs. Semantic Memory

Picture episodic memory as a diary filled with personal stories, like the joy of your graduation day. On the other hand, semantic memory is your encyclopedia. It holds general knowledge, like the fact that Earth revolves around the Sun.

Endel Tulving, in his 1972 book Elements of Episodic Memory, beautifully illustrated how these two memory types, while different, are connected. While episodic memories include personal tales, semantic memories give the background information that adds depth to our personal stories.

Types of Episodic Memories

There are different types of memories, including episodic memories. And then there are also different subtypes of these types.

Here are various episodic memories you may experience.

Autobiographical Memory

This memory is like a movie reel of our life. It’s the blend of facts (like the date of your graduation) and feelings (the pride and joy of that day). Researchers like Conway and Pleydell-Pearce visualize this as a hierarchy, with life’s major chapters at the top and specific events at the base.

General Events

These memories capture the essence of recurring experiences. You might not recall every beach visit, but you’d remember the consistent joy and relaxation it brought. Rubin and Umanath, in a 2015 study, highlighted how such memories can merge over time.

Personal Facts

These are straightforward facts about our life, without the emotions. Like remembering the color of your childhood bike or your first pet’s name. They’re lacking emotions but rich in detail.

Flashbulb Memories

These are super clear memories of significant and unexpected events. Think of your mind as a camera. Usually, it captures everyday moments. But for significant, unexpected events, it snaps a high-definition photo. These memories stand out because of their clarity. However, they might shift a bit over time.

Examples of Episodic Memories

Your skiing vacation last winter

Imagine reliving the cold snow and the fun of skiing down hills while laughing with friends. It’s not just about skiing; it’s about how it felt and who was there.

The first time you traveled by airplane

Do you remember the first time you’ve ever flown? Maybe you felt excited when you saw fluffy clouds outside. It’s not just knowing you flew; it’s about how it felt and what you saw. A study from Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience tells us that new or big feelings can make these memories even clearer.

Attending a relative’s 75th birthday party

Try to recall a big birthday party you went to, maybe your nana’s 75th. You might remember the birthday song you sang her, the taste of the cake or the fun games. These memories are special and can make you feel happy or sad when you think about them. Nature says a part of our brain called the hippocampus helps make these memories.

Neighbors on the block where you grew up

Remember the faces of old neighbors or the fun times with kids from next door. Maybe you remember playing games with kids next door or a friendly neighbor who always said hello and had a cute puppy. 

Episodic memories are like stories or movies in our head about things we did, saw or felt. They’re personal and special to each of us.

Related Brain Structures

Our brain is like a complex machine that’s crucial for making and recalling memories. The medial temporal lobe, which contains the hippocampus, acts like a memory maker.

Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex helps organize these memories. As we get older, the way our brain uses the hippocampus changes. Young people might use one part more, but the elderly use both parts, showing how flexible our brain is.

Other Types of Memory

Episodic Memory

This is like your personal diary of events. It’s remembering things you did like a surprise birthday party or a spontaneous road trip. It’s about the event and the emotions it evoked. The hippocampus plays a big role here.

Semantic Memory

Semantic Memory: Your mental encyclopedia. It’s general knowledge, like understanding gravity or knowing that Paris is the capital of France.

Remote Memory

These are your oldest memories, like things from your childhood. Over time, these memories spread out in the brain and don’t just stay in one place. That’s why, even if some parts of the brain get sick, these old memories can still be okay.

Working Memory

Think of this as your brain’s sticky note. It’s for things you need to remember right now but might forget later, like a phone number you just heard. It’s a bit like juggling—you can only keep a few things in the air at once. This memory is tied to our attention and is managed by the front and side parts of our brain.

Different parts of our brain are in charge of these memories. So, if one part has a problem, some memories might be affected but others might function normally.

9 Properties of Episodic Memory

Episodic memory has various properties that define it. Here are the nine properties that make a memory an episodic one.

  1. Contain summary records of sensory-perceptual-conceptual-affective processing: Episodic memories are not just simple recordings. They are a blend of sensory inputs, emotions and thoughts.
  1. Retain patterns of activation/inhibition over long periods: These memories can retain patterns of what was active (or inhibited) in our minds over extended periods. 
  1. Often represented in the form of (visual) images: Episodic memories often come with visual images. For instance, when you think of your childhood home, you might “see” it in your mind, recalling its colors, the rooms and even the furniture.
  1. Always have a perspective (field or observer): These memories always have a viewpoint. Sometimes, you see the memory from your own eyes like reliving the moment. Other times, you might see yourself in the memory as if you’re watching a movie starring you.
  1. Represent short time slices of experience: Episodic memories capture brief moments or short episodes. It’s like freezing a specific scene or event, such as the few minutes when you blew out candles on your 10th birthday.
  1. Represented on a temporal dimension roughly in order of occurrence: These memories are stored roughly in the sequence they happened. It’s like chapters in a book, where you remember events in the order they occurred, even if some details become fuzzy over time.
  1. Subject to rapid forgetting: Unfortunately, episodic memories can fade quickly. You might forget the details of a conversation you had last week, even if you remember the general topic.
  1. Make autobiographical remembering specific: Episodic memories make our personal stories detailed. They’re not just about knowing you went to a concert; it’s about recalling the songs played, the friends you were with and the excitement in the air.
  1. Recollectively experienced when accessed: Accessing an episodic memory is like reliving a past experience. It’s not just about knowing a fact but feeling and experiencing the memory all over again.

Episodic memories are rich, detailed and deeply personal, capturing specific moments from our lives along with all their associated emotions and sensations.

Significance of Episodic Memory

Episodic memory plays a vital role in shaping our understanding of the world.For instance, in a study on grocery item prices, participants familiar with average prices were more accurate in recalling new prices.This illustrates how our personal memories influence our perception of new situations.

People with amnesia, who struggle with episodic memories, often find it challenging to grasp new information, emphasizing the importance of our past experiences in learning.

Moreover, research from 2016 has shown that women generally excel in recalling personal experiences, especially in tasks involving words. Studies have shown that women tend to be better at recalling personal experiences, especially when words are involved. This finding suggests potential gender differences in how we access and utilize episodic memories.

Conditions that Can Affect Episodic Memory

Here are some other conditions that can affect episodic memory

Alzheimer’s Disease

This is a disease that slowly damages the brain over time. One of its early signs is difficulty in recalling personal memories or experiences.

Amnesia

This isn’t just something in movies; it’s a real condition where people can’t remember things. It can be caused by injuries, diseases or severe emotional shocks.

Depression

People with depression might find it hard to recall specific personal events. It’s not just feeling sad; depression can affect how our memory works.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

People with PTSD might have very strong and unwanted memories (flashbacks) of traumatic events. These memories can feel so real that they think they’re reliving the trauma.

Aging

Just the natural process of getting older can make it a bit harder to remember personal experiences.

Brain Injuries

If someone gets a head injury, like a concussion, it might become harder for them to recall personal events. But interestingly, their general knowledge about the world often remains unaffected.

Our ability to remember personal experiences can be affected by various things, from diseases and injuries to mental health conditions. But even when this happens, our basic knowledge about the world often remains strong. And tools like Dorothy are always here to help you remember those things you sometimes forget.

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