Memory refers to the storage of new and old information for later use. Memories can be stored for very short periods of time — seconds or even milliseconds, during which information is encoded and consolidated — or for long periods of time — weeks, years, or a lifetime. Figure 4 represents a descriptive, atheoretical way of viewing human memory, emphasizing temporal characteristics of the information being stored. Because memory is not unitary, theorists have considered its many different forms, mediated by separate component processes, governed by different principles, and controlled by extensive brain circuitries (Tulving and Craik, 2000). In relation to alcoholism, memory has been explored most frequently with respect to the type of material or event being remembered and the duration of storage. “Working memory,” which stores transitory information in the service of future action despite distractions, is considered a component of executive functions (discussed below).
