Episodic memory is a type of long-term, declarative memory that involves the recollection of personal experiences or events, including the details of an event, the context in which the event took place, and emotions associated with the event. It is the memory of everyday events that can be explicitly stated or conjured, such as the party on ones 7th birthday. Episodic memory is part of long-term explicit memory, and comprises a person’s unique recollection of experiences, events, and situations.
The term "episodic memory" was coined by Endel Tulving in 1972, referring to the distinction between knowing and remembering: knowing is factual recollection (semantic) whereas remembering is a feeling that is located in the past (episodic) . One of the main components of episodic memory is the process of recollection, which elicits the retrieval of contextual information pertaining to a specific event or experience that has occurred.
Memory consolidation is the next step in forming an episodic memory, which is the process by which memory traces of encoded information are strengthened, stabilized and stored to facilitate later retrieval. The last step in forming episodic memories is called retrieval, which is the conscious recollection of information that was encoded and stored. Retrieving information from episodic memory depends upon contextual information or cues and how effectively the information was encoded and stored into memory.
Episodic memory is important as it helps individuals construct a sense of self. It is also influenced by an individual’s ability to attend to the environment, and any conditions that affect attention can impact episodic memory.
