Which memory type involves the retention of skills and experiences?

The concept of retaining skills and experiences most accurately relates to implicit memory. Implicit memory is a type of long-term memory that does not require conscious thought for retrieval. It includes procedural memory, which entails the skills we acquire through practice, such as riding a bicycle or playing a musical instrument.

While long-term memory encompasses all types of memory that can be held for an extended period, including episodic and semantic memory, it is implicit memory that specifically highlights the retention of skills and experiences. This distinction is critical because long-term memory is a broad category, and it can contain both explicit forms of memory, like episodic (personal experiences) and semantic (general knowledge), and the implicit forms related to skills and unconscious recall.

In this context, the correct answer highlights the specific nature of implicit memory in relation to skill retention, which differs from the other memory types listed.