Implicit Memory vs. Explicit Memory

Implicit memory and explicit memory are both types of long-term memory. Information that you remember unconsciously and effortlessly is known as implicit memory, while information that you have to consciously work to remember is known as explicit memory. Doing something like remembering how to ride a bike or read a book relies on implicit memory, while consciously recalling items on your to-do list involves the use of explicit memory.

Explicit and implicit memory play important roles in shaping your ability to recall information and interact in your environment. Knowing some of the major differences between the two is important for understanding how memory works. People often focus more on the topic of explicit memory, but researchers are becoming increasingly interested in how implicit memory works and how it influences knowledge and behavior.

This article discusses what implicit and explicit memory are and how they work. It also covers the differences between the two types of memory and the various factors that can affect your implicit and explicit memory.

What is Implicit Memory?

Information that people don't purposely try to remember is stored in implicit memory, which is also sometimes referred to as unconscious memory or automatic memory. This kind of memory is both unconscious and unintentional.

Where explicit memories are conscious and can be verbally explained, implicit memories are usually non-conscious and not verbally articulated. Implicit memories are often procedural and focused on the step-by-step processes that must be performed in order to complete a task. 

Procedural memories, such as how to perform a specific task like swinging a baseball bat or making toast, are one type of implicit memory since you don't have to consciously recall how to perform these tasks. While implicit memories are not consciously recalled, they still influence how you behave as well as your knowledge of different tasks.

Examples of Implicit Memory

Some examples of implicit memory include singing a familiar song, typing on your computer keyboard, and brushing your teeth. Riding a bike is another example. Even after going years without riding one, most people are able to hop on a bike and ride it effortlessly.

Other examples of implicit memory may include:

• Knowing how to use utensils and dress yourself each day
• Navigating a familiar area such as your house or neighborhood
• Recalling how to boil water to fix dinner, or drive a car
• Remembering the words to a popular song after hearing the first few notes

As you can see, these are skills that you learn and then don't have to relearn again in order to perform them. These memories are largely unconscious and occur automatically; you don't need to think about all of the exact steps you need to follow in order to complete each task.

What is Explicit Memory?

When you're trying to intentionally remember something (like a formula for your statistics class or a list of dates for your history class), this information is stored in your explicit memory. People use these memories every day, from remembering information for a test to recalling the date and time of a doctor's appointment.

Explicit memory is also known as declarative memory since you can consciously recall and explain the information.

Examples of Explicit Memory

Some tasks that require the use of explicit memory include remembering what you learned in your psychology class, recalling your phone number, identifying who the current president is, writing a research paper, and remembering what time you're meeting a friend to go to a movie.

Other examples of things that are remembered through explicit memory include:

• All of the items on your shopping list
• Birth dates of friends and family members
• Important events from your life such as your school graduation, wedding, or another notable milestone
• Names and locations of different countries on a map

Many examples of explicit memory involve textbook learning or experiential memories. These are things that you consciously need to bring into awareness.

Differences Between Explicit and Implicit Memory

In order to understand some of the key differences between these two types of memory, it can be helpful to compare the two:

Here's a quick demonstration that you can try to show how implicit and explicit memory work. Type the following sentence without looking down at your hands: "Every red pepper is tantalizing." Now, without looking, try naming the ten letters that appear in the top row of your keyboard.

You probably found it quite easy to type the above sentence without having to consciously think about where each letter appears on the keyboard. That task requires implicit memory. Having to recall which letters appear in the top row of your keyboard, however, is something that would require explicit memory.

Since you have probably never sat down and intentionally committed the order of those keys to memory, it's not something that you are able to easily recall.

Influences on Explicit and Implicit Memory

Research suggests that there are a number of factors that can influence the formation of both explicit and implicit memory, including stress levels and emotional states.

One older study found that high-stress levels had an effect on working memory, a part of short-term memory that acts as a temporary holding space for information people are focusing on at the moment. This part of memory is important in the formation of explicit memories.

The research also suggested that stress may actually facilitate the formation of implicit memories for negative emotional information. A more recent study, however, found that normal everyday variations in stress levels don't appear to have a detrimental impact on working memory.

Research has also suggested that mood can also play an important role in the formation and recall of explicit and implicit memories. In one study, people who were experiencing depressed mood were more likely to show implicit recall of negative information. Those who were not depressed, however, were more likely to implicitly recall positive information. 

Age can also have an impact on explicit memory. While explicit memory tends to decline with age, implicit memories tend to be preserved.