implicit memory

n. Implicit memory, also known as indirect memory, is an unintentional and often unaware manifestation of retention of previously acquired information (e.g., words, pictures, or ideas). This is in contrast to explicit memory, which refers to the conscious recollection of prior episodes (i.e., what people commonly regard as "memory"). When taking an implicit memory test, people perform a perceptual or cognitive task apparently unrelated to the study phase, such as deciding whether or not a word is correctly spelled. They do not need to recollect the prior study episodes, and supposedly they do not realize that their memories are being assessed. Repetition priming, a measure of implicit memory, is manifested by a facilitation in processing speed for studied items (faster response or reaction time), processing accuracy for those items (better response accuracy), or response bias (a bias to choose or detect the studied item, relative to unstudied or "new" items).

- CST