<p>An <a href="https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/15469/4397">Associative Memory is a synonym for Content Addressable Memory</a> or a memory which stores the result of associative learning, wherein an input item is learned to be associated with an output item.</p>

<p>A Hopfield network is a type of associative memory, wherein an input item (including partial, noisy representations of the original trained/encoded item) is an associated to a the ideal representation of the trained/desired/encoded input item.</p>

<p>For further discussion of Hopfield networks, I recommend look at the question "<a href="https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/15744/4397">What&#39;s the difference between a Hamming and Hopfield network?</a>"</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-12T20:36:16.037Z
2018-05-12T20:36:16.037Z
Seanny123
<p>I'm struggling to understand the meaning of the term associative memory in the context of Hopfield networks. I'm not sure if associative learning is the same thing or a different thing. In associative learning, you have two unrelated items and you learn to associate one item with the other. In a hopfield network you have a partial pattern then you can retrieve the full pattern. How is this associative learning? Or are associative learning and associative memory different things?</p>

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2018-05-12T17:18:43.517Z
Welcome to Psychology.SE Liyuan.  In what context are you looking at associative memory?  What have you been reading which lead you to this term?
Chris Rogers
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2018-05-12T17:35:44.940Z
From a computational neuroscience perspective, I'm studying network models of associative memory including hopfield network and the memory matrix.
liyuan
<memory><theoretical-neuroscience>
Why is the hopfield network a model of associative memory?
liyuan
# Why is the hopfield network a model of associative memory?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-12)

I'm struggling to understand the meaning of the term associative memory in the context of Hopfield networks. I'm not sure if associative learning is the same thing or a different thing. In associative learning, you have two unrelated items and you learn to associate one item with the other. In a hopfield network you have a partial pattern then you can retrieve the full pattern. How is this associative learning? Or are associative learning and associative memory different things?

**Tags:** memory, theoretical-neuroscience

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Welcome to Psychology.SE Liyuan.  In what context are you looking at associative memory?  What have you been reading which lead you to this term?  
> **username_0**: From a computational neuroscience perspective, I'm studying network models of associative memory including hopfield network and the memory matrix.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-05-12. Score: 2

An [Associative Memory is a synonym for Content Addressable Memory](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/15469/4397) or a memory which stores the result of associative learning, wherein an input item is learned to be associated with an output item.

A Hopfield network is a type of associative memory, wherein an input item (including partial, noisy representations of the original trained/encoded item) is an associated to a the ideal representation of the trained/desired/encoded input item.

For further discussion of Hopfield networks, I recommend look at the question "[What's the difference between a Hamming and Hopfield network?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/15744/4397)"


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