Cognitive Types of Memory

Cognitive science divides memory into working (context window) and long-term memory of three types:

  • episodic – specific events (“had dinner with a colleague on Wednesday”);
  • semantic – abstracted knowledge (“user is vegetarian”);
  • procedural – behavioral patterns (“first look for a direct flight → confirm seat → apply loyalty number”).

The three classifications of memory (where/how/what to store) are freely combined.

Related: Hierarchy of Memory, User Memory Formats