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Memory

by Alan J. Parkin

The first chapter considers structural accounts of memory which is followed by a detailed assessment of the "levels of processing" alternative. A third chapter considers the organisation and function of long-term memory including discussion of the highly influential distinction between explicit and implicit memory. Here, as elsewhere in the book, particular attention is paid to the relevance of clinical observations in the development of theory. Concepts of retrieval are described in some detail with a broad account of contextual influences on memory. A whole chapter is devoted to the topic of mental imagery and another to the working memory concept. The final two chapters cover memory across the lifespan and allow the reader to see how many of the general ideas developed at earlier stages provide insights into memory development.