What is Associative Memory?

Module 6 – Associative Memory How does it work? What is Associative Memory?

Associative memory is defined as the ability to learn and remember the relationship between unrelated items. It refers to the ability to remember relationships between concepts, and not just the individual concepts themselves. In humans, this relates to visual and verbal information, such as remembering how two words are related (e.g., man – women), or seeing an object and its alternate names (e.g., a guitar). Associative memory is thought to be mediated by the medial temporal lobe of the brain.

Mayes A, Montaldi D, Migo E. Associative memory and the medial temporal lobes. Trends Cogn Sci. 2007;11(3):126-135. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2006.12.003

Definition according to Psychology Dictionary:

a memory of a past event or place that may occur by recalling something associated with it.
retrieval of a memory of a stimulus or behaviour in relation to the presentation of an associated stimulus or response.

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