ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at what makes episodic memory different from other types of memory. It considers the various types of content that can be part of an episodic memory, and how they can be used in the process of cuing a memory. One of the hallmarks of episodic memory, according to E. Tulving, is the ability to engage in mental time travel. There are two types of episodic retrieval cues: feature cues and context cues. The influence of environmental context on memory is reflected in the encoding specificity principle. Memory is better remembered when people are in a similar physiological state during recall as they were during learning. A related concept to mood-dependent memory is mood-congruent memory, which is the finding that it is easier to think of things that are congruent with one's current mood. The explanation for serial position curves in episodic memory differ from those for short-term memory.
