Synonyms
Implicit memory; Nondeclarative memory; Procedural knowledge
Definition
Procedural memory describes the unconscious memory of learned tasks. Examples include riding a bike and performing difficult athletic moves. As a subset of implicit memory, it is contrasted with memory of facts and events, called declarative memory, a subset of explicit memory. Procedural memory often requires longer periods of learning compared to declarative memory and is usually acquired through repetitive performance. Different types of procedural memories are sometimes separately referred to as motor, perceptual, or cognitive (Mochizuki-Kawai 2008). Most commonly, procedural memory is measured through a task that employs more than one of these types such as Pursuit Rotor Task or Star Mirror Task (Van Gorp et al. 1999).
Historical Background
Procedural memory processing occurs without any conscious acknowledgment and has been studied in a variety of amnesic patients and aging disorders. In most of...
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References and Readings
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Zichlin, M. (2018). Procedural Memory. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1143
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1143
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