Declarative memory stores facts and figures. It applies to standard
textbook learning[?]. It is based on pairing the stimulus and the correct response. For example, the question "What is the capital of
Sierra Leone?" and the answer "
Freetown". The name declarative comes from the fact that we can explicitly "ask" our
brain to make a connection between a pair of simuli. Declarative memory is subject to
forgetting and requires repetition to last for years. Declarative memories are best established by using
active recall combined with
mnemonic techniques and
spaced repetition.
Contrast with procedural memory.