Memory Classification by information type 

Anderson divides long-term memory into declarative & procedural memories.

Declarative memory requires conscious recall, in that some conscious process must call back the information. It is sometimes called explicit memory, since it consists of information that is explicitly stored & retrieved.

Declarative memory could be further sub-divided into semantic memory, which concerns facts taken independent of context & episodic memory, which concerns information specific to a particular context, such as a time & place. Semantic memory allows the encoding of abstract knowledge about the world, such as 'Paris is the capital of France'. Episodic memory, on the other hand, is used for more personal memories, such as the sensations, emotions, & personal associations of a particular place or time. Autobiographical memory - memory for particular events within one's own life - is generally viewed as either equivalent to, or a subset of, episodic memory. Visual memory is part of memory preserving some characteristics of our senses pertaining to visual experience. 1 is able to place in memory information that resembles objects, places, animals or people in sort of a mental image. Visual memory could result in priming & it is assumed some kind of perceptual representational body system underlies this phenomenon.

In contrast, procedural memory is not based on the conscious recall of information, but on implicit learning. Procedural memory is primarily employed in learning motor skills & should be considered a subset of implicit memory. It is revealed when 1 does better in a given task due only to repetition - no new explicit memories have been formed, but 1 is unconsciously accessing aspects of those previous experiences. Procedural memory involved in motor learning depends on the cerebellum & basal ganglia.

Topographic memory is the power to orient oneself in space, to recognize & follow an itinerary, or to recognize familiar places. Getting lost when traveling alone is an example of the failure of topographic memory. This is often reported among elderly patients who are evaluated for dementia. The disorder could be caused by multiple impairments, including difficulties with perception, orientation, & memory.