Episodic memory (i.e. memories of lived experiences), together with semantic memory (i.e. known facts), forms the category explicit memory. Explicit memories are available for conscious reflection and can be called up and described. The other three choices are all types of implicit memory, or memory that is drawn upon outside of conscious awareness. Procedural memory refers to the knowledge of how to perform physical actions. Priming refers to the unintended influence of frequent or recent experiences. Classically conditioned learning refers to trained associations between frequently paired stimuli.

George Miller’s research on short-term memory established that humans are typically limited to dealing with “seven plus or minus two” pieces of information at one time. Noam Chomsky is most famous for theorizing universal grammar and language acquisition. George Lakoff’s work concerns the relationship between cognition and metaphor. Stanley Milgram is a social psychologist, controversial for his work on obedience.

In the field of psychology, the spacing effect is the phenomenon in which humans more easily remember items when they are spaced out over a long period of time as opposed to repeatedly studied in a short period of time.

"Procedural memory" refers to a memory of “knowing how.” If you can ride a bike, then you might not be able to word-for-word verbalize your memory of how to do so; therefore, "semantic memory" is not the best choice. Psychologists would also distinguish between remembering how to ride a bike and remembering when you learned to ride a bike—the latter would be considered "episodic memory." Additionally, "short term memory" refers to information held immediately in consciousness for a very brief time, often in order to carry out a certain task, which is then lost if not transferred to long term memory.  The general knowledge of riding a bike would not be permanently stored in short term memory.

In the information processing theory of memory, "encoding" must precede both storage and retrieval. Rehearsal is only essential in short term memory, but also must follow encoding. The process of encoding is essential to transferring perception into memory, so it must occur first. 

"Anterograde amnesia" describes the condition in which an individual is unable to create or retain new memories following a specific incident. For Cameron, this specific moment is the car crash. It is where his long term memory ends and he loses the ability to add more information to this collection. He is unable to recall the recent past, in contrast with his vivid recollection of the time before the accident. 

The primacy effect and the recency effect are termed the "serial position effects". The primacy effect is a phenomenon that allows one to remember information better that is initially presented to them (e.g., the beginning contents of a long list). The recency effect refers to the ability to better recall information presented last (e.g., information presented at the end of a long list).

Declarative memory is also known as explicit memory. Declarative memory is a type of long term memory that can be recalled as facts of knowledge, usually in a verbatim manner. These types of memories can be consciously recalled.

The hippocampus is a structure within the brain that encodes memories. When this structure is damaged it can lead to an inability to form and retrieve memories. The amygdala is the brain structure responsible for fear. The occipital lobe is responsible for processing visual input. Wernicke's area is important for speech and language. The cerebellum is responsible for movement and coordination.

Implicit memory involves remembering how to complete tasks that do not require conscious effort. It is also sometimes called non-declarative memory. Remembering how to ride a bicycle or tie your shoes are examples of implicit memory. Explicit memory is memory for every day information. It is a conscious form of memory and requires effort. Semantic and episodic are forms of explicit memory. Semantic memory involves remembering specific facts, such as math formulas or the names of former presidents. Episodic memory refers to remembering past life events, such as your wedding day. Eidetic memory is also known as photographic memory and is a rare ability in some people to recall images and sounds after short exposure.