ABSTRACT
Sometimes memories do not refer to specific events but are more encyclopedic. This general knowledge is semantic memory, which takes advantage of regularities in the world to make more accurate predictions about what will happen next. For example, if all you had to go on were episodic memories of specific events, then every time you encountered a dog you would have to start all over again figuring out the safety of the situation and how you should react. Every time you saw a new chair, you would need to determine what it was. Every time you went to a restaurant, you would have to learn the procedure how to get some food. Semantic memories are generalizations that apply to a variety of similar but different circumstances.
