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6 - Memory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2025

Stacey A. Bedwell
Affiliation:
King’s College London
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Summary

Memory is vital for a range of brain functions, not just decision-making. Memory is a complex concept, that many researchers have attempted to model and explain over the course of history, all with their own properties. It is commonly accepted however that memory must include both retention and retrieval. Human memory can be considered as a complex storage system, in which information can be stored and accessed according to different criteria. Various models have explained memory organisation in terms of duration of retention (fractation), information type and temporal direction. To gain an insight into how memory informs decision-making, we must consider it as a dynamic cognitive function, with three main stages: encoding, storage and retrieval.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

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Cui, J. F., Wang, Y., Shi, H. S., Liu, L. L., Chen, X. J., & Chen, Y. H. (2015). Effects of working memory load on uncertain decision-making: Evidence from the Iowa Gambling Task. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 162. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00162CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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  • Memory
  • Stacey A. Bedwell, King’s College London
  • Book: Cognitive Neuroscience of Decision-Making
  • Online publication: 14 November 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009407946.007
Available formats
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  • Memory
  • Stacey A. Bedwell, King’s College London
  • Book: Cognitive Neuroscience of Decision-Making
  • Online publication: 14 November 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009407946.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Memory
  • Stacey A. Bedwell, King’s College London
  • Book: Cognitive Neuroscience of Decision-Making
  • Online publication: 14 November 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009407946.007
Available formats
×