(non-declarative memory, unconscious memory, automatic memory)
A type of long-term memory that a person remembers unconsciously, unintentionally, and effortlessly, such as certain abilities or skills.
They are usually non-conscious and not verbally articulated, often procedural and focused on the step-by-step processes that must be performed in order to complete a task.
But they still influence how one behaves as well as one's knowledge of different tasks.
(Types)
• procedural memory: Habits and skill. Recalling motor and executive skills.
- - (Skill acquisition)
- - 1. cognitive phase: Acquisition of knowledge about the factors that make up a particular observed behavior.
- - 2. associative phase: Repeated practice.
- - 3. autonomous/procedural phase: Perfecting acquired skills. The skill becomes automated.
• associative memory: The storage and retrieval of information through association with other information. It is the ability to learn and recall relationships between unrelated things.
- - classical conditioning: Associative learning between stimuli and behavior.
- - operant conditioning (instrumental conditioning, trial-and-error learning): A method of learning that uses rewards and punishment to modify behavior. Through it, behavior that is rewarded is likely to be repeated, and behavior that is punished will rarely occur.
• non-associative learning: When an individual's response to a stimulus changes in the absence of new stimuli (or changes in circumstances) that might explain the change in response.
- - habituation: A stimulus no longer causes a strong response.
- - sensitization: Occurs when the same stimulus causes a stronger response over time.
• priming: Instances where exposure to one stimulus affects a subsequent response to a second stimulus. It can occur outside conscious awareness. It can affect not only cognitive processing but also behavior.
(Examples)
Procedural memories:
• singing a familiar song.
• reading a book
• typing.
• writing, painting
• brushing teeth
• using utensils
• boiling water, cooking
• dressing oneself up each day
• riding a bicycle or bike, driving a car
• navigating a familiar area such as one's own house or neighborhood
• playing the guitar
Classical conditioning:
• Pavlov's dogs: Dogs produce reflex response of salivation when conditioned with a sound stimulus.
Operant conditioning:
• When lab rats press a lever when a green light is on, they receive a food pellet as a reward. When they press the lever when a red light is on, they receive a mild electric shock. As a result, they learn to press the lever when the green light is on and avoid the red light.
Habituation:
• Being able to shut out the noisy chatter of a crowded room and focus on reading.
• A pet turtle that no longer withdraws its head when touched.
Sensitization:
• When a person becomes easily frightened after watching a scary movie.
• A dripping faucet that keeps you awake at night and becomes increasingly irritating.
Priming:
• Being primed with the color yellow will make a person more likely to recall yellow objects, such as lemons or bananas.
• After seeing fast food TV commercials all day, a viewer may be more inclined to eat a hamburger than a salad.
(Comparisons)
These memories do not work in isolation but interact in a number of ways.
• explicit memory: Information that one has to consciously remember. Encoded to memory and later retrieved. Often formed deliberately through rehearsal. Governed by communications between the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus.
• implicit memory: Information that one remembers unconsciously and effortlessly. Becomes automatic over time with repetition. Begins with learning skills and mastering a task. The basal ganglia is involved in a wide range of processes such as habit formation and the cerebellum is involved in fine motor control.
Emotional memory is a memory for events that evoke an emotional response. They can be either explicit (conscious) or implicit (nonconscious).
(Factors to influence the memories)
• stress: Facilitate the formation of implicit memories for negative emotional information.
• mood: People experiencing depressed moods are more likely to recall negative information implicitly, while not experiencing depressed moods, positive information implicitly.
• age: While explicit memory tends to decline with age, implicit memory tends to be preserved.
(Ways to protect the memories)
• sleep: Enough sleep plays an essential role in the memory consolidation process.
• physical exercise: Good for both the brain and body.
• mental exercises: Brain training activities can help keep the mind sharp and may even help strengthen certain cognitive skills.
• healthy diet: Foods that are good for the brain include fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, nuts, and eggs.
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/k_dtWmPchyw/maxresdefault.jpg)