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Expanded taxonomies of human memory.
1Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, United States.
Frontiers in Cognition
|June 24, 2026
Summary
Human memory extends beyond the brain, encompassing external information and biological systems like genetics and the immune system. This broadens our understanding of memory as information transmission across time.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Memory Studies
Background:
- Human memory is traditionally viewed as multiple subsystems within the brain.
- Existing models include the modal model, working memory, and distinctions between explicit and implicit long-term memory.
- Previous work expanded this to include external memory (social and technological).
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose further expanded taxonomies of human memory.
- To conceptualize memory as the transmission of information across time.
- To explore memory beyond the brain, including biological systems and collective memory.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual expansion of existing memory taxonomies.
- Integration of cognitive psychology and neuroscience perspectives.
- Analysis of memory transmission across biological and social systems.
Main Results:
- Proposed expanded taxonomies including numerous biological systems (immune, genetic, bodily traces) and external natural memory.
- Distinguished between individual and collective memory, applying it to various systems.
- Highlighted parallels and interplays between different memory systems and traditional cognitive concepts.
Conclusions:
- Human memory is a complex phenomenon extending beyond neural processes.
- Considering biological systems, external information, and collective memory offers new insights.
- Memory as information transmission across time provides a unifying framework.
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