Long-term memory denotes the transmission of facts from short-term memory into long-term storage to create long-lasting memories. LTM is the ability to recall information or knowledge that happened a long time ago. The capacity of this kind of memory is unlimited as well as stable. Furthermore, it lasts for many years or even a lifetime. So long-term memory means storing unlimited data for a long period. The duration and size of saving any information are infinite. The process through which we convert short-term memory into long-term memory is called consolidation. This kind of memory is further divided into two subtypes.
Long-term memory kinds
Here are two types of long-term memory. The first one is explicit, and the second is implicit.
1. Explicit memories (conscious)
It is the deliberate and conscious recollection of prior experiences, thoughts, and realistic information. So, declarative knowledge related to the awareness of facts and reality is stored in explicit memory. Explicit memories are further divided into episodic memory and semantic memory.
i. Episodic memory
It is the store of past personal occasions that happened at a specific time. For example, if you remember the marriage anniversary, it is an episodic memory. It allows you to go back and remember the particular events that occurred at a particular place and time. Hence, episodic memory is the capacity to remember specific life events. Episodic memory provides the basic support for semantic memory.
ii. Semantic memory
It is related to general world knowledge. It is less related to personal knowledge as it relates to the capital cities of different countries and, the geographic importance of different regions of the world. Similarly, semantic memory is related to factual information about events, people, dates, etc.
2. Implicit memory (unconscious)
It is the counterpart of explicit memory and is obtained by using unconscious or automatic skills, such as (knowing how to eat). This type of memory learns quickly. As learned skills are stored in our implicit memory, they are not forgotten easily. We use this memory whenever we need it in our day-to-day lives. This category of memory is further divided into procedural memory:
I. Procedural memory
It is the type of long-term memory that involves recalling how to do certain tasks, skills, and actions. It is also called muscle memory, and it contains the formation of behavior and automatic habits.
Difference between explicit and implicit memory
Explicit memory is a kind of long-term memory that can be used when needed. On the contrary, implicit memory is unconscious and automatic skills like how to ride a bicycle, how to eat food, etc. Similarly, explicit memories are long-lasting and stronger; they include intentionally learned facts and events like recalling phone numbers, remembering items on a list, locations, country names, etc., so we call it declarative memory.  While implicit memories are unintentionally developed behaviors, that’s why sometimes we call them non-declarative memories.
Formation of long-term memory
The hippocampus and cerebellum play important roles in the formation of long-term memory. Hippocampus is the part of the brain that plays a very important role in the formation of explicit memory. The hippocampus acts as a neural librarian, cataloging information when needed. so it plays an essential role in the construction of personal narratives. On the other hand, the cerebellum and neocortex are responsible for implicit memory. These subconscious architects work together seamlessly and form patterns and associations that influence our reactions and actions. The amygdala is involved in both explicit and implicit memory
Factors that influence long-term memory (implicit and explicit)
Many factors influence long-term memory, like
- emotional state
- level of stress,
- anxiety,
- misuse of alcohol
- and drugs
All these factors affect memory.
Similarly, disturbances in sleeping also have negative impacts on mental health. Furthermore, a lack of a balanced diet, like vitamin B12, also has an impact on memory.
Techniques for improving long-term memory
Certain techniques can be used to improve long-term memory. They are discussed below.
i. Focus your attention
To transfer data from short-term memory to long-term memory, there is a requirement to keenly pay attention to the concerned material. It is because attention is one of the important factors for improving memory.
ii. Organize the material
When the information is systematically organized, it becomes easy to transfer it into long-term memory. Therefore, efforts should be made to structure and organize the concepts and terms that look similar. Furthermore, prepare a sketch of your records to group related concepts and terms.
iii. Apply Mnemonic Devices
They are techniques students use to recall information. Mnemonics is a method of remembering information. For instance, a concept is associated with a familiar item.
iv. Elaboration and rehearsal
To recall information, there is a need to encode it in long-term memory. One such technique is called elaborative rehearsal. For example, if a student is studying the definition of a term, then he or she has to recite an additional detail of that word. After repetition, the process of recalling information becomes easy.
v. Visualize concepts
Visualizing the information is possible if a person pays attention to the photographs, charts, and textbooks. Furthermore, one can also draw a personal chart or graph of various colors to visualize the concepts. For example, making flashcards for various concepts can help transfer information into long-term memory.
vi. Relate new knowledge with the old one
The use of relating new information to already-known information helps to easily transfer new information to long-term memory.
vii. Pay more attention to difficult material
Sometimes it is easy to remember the starting information of a material in a chapter. It is proven by research findings that the order of information plays a significant role in its recall. This process is called the serial position effect. It is sometimes difficult to recall middle-class information. For this purpose, you can spend more time rehearsing the information. The other strategy can be to restructure the learned information so that it becomes easier to remember.
Last verdict
LTM is the ability to recall information or knowledge that happened a long time ago. There are two types of long-term memory. The first one is explicit, and the second is implicit. There are some factors, such as emotional state, level of stress, anxiety, and misuse of alcohol, and drugs. Certain measures such as organizing information, mnemonic devices, rehearsal, and focusing attention can help increase a person’s memory.