Entry
Entries A-Z
Implicit Memory
A type of memory that does not require conscious awareness during recall and stands in contrast to explicit memory. Most prominently, priming is a form of implicit memory, whereby a person's judgment is unconsciously influenced by presented stimuli prior to recall. Another common form of implicit memory is procedural memory, which is referred to as memory for “knowing how” (e.g., to play a guitar). Evidence for implicit memory as a different memory process stems from cognitive psychology experiments and patients with brain trauma. While explicit memory may be affected in amnesic patients, implicit memory can be found to be intact, providing evidence for this memory distinction. For more information, see Schacter (1987).