Procedural Memory And Why It's Important
Procedural memory — the part of your long-term memory responsible for unconsciously recalling and performing actions — plays an important part in helping you function on a daily basis. When you type, ride a bike, or even drive a car without consciously thinking about how you are doing it, you are using your procedural memory. Below, we’re going to discuss procedural memory, how it develops, and its implications regarding your mental and physical health.
What is procedural memory?
Long-term memory is divided into two subtypes, explicit and implicit memory, the latter of which can be further separated into procedural memory, conditioning, and priming. Implicit memory is utilized when you automatically recall information and events. In the case of procedural memory, the information you’re retrieving is related to a task that you’re performing. For example, when you tie your shoes, you likely do not think about the specific steps involved because your procedural memory allows you to unconsciously recall the information necessary to perform this action. In this way, procedural memory refers to a type of long-term memory that helps you remember how to automatically do things without giving it any thought.
Differentiating between procedural and declarative memory
Contrasting two forms of long-term memory, procedural and explicit (also known as declarative memory), can help clarify how procedural memory works. Declarative memories are the information you consciously learn, while procedural memories refer to actions you typically learn by doing. As you repeatedly practice motor skills, those actions become encoded in your procedural memory. Then, you recall them automatically. With declarative memory, the process of learning and retrieval is typically consciously performed.
Therapy for declarative memory impairment and procedural learning
For example, consider the act of driving. If you had to consciously think about how to activate your blinker, turn a corner, and speed up, you may have trouble driving without getting distracted. However, if you go to a state you've visited before and someone tells you about a unique road law, you could use declarative memory to recall the law and follow it while driving. Since isn't stored in your procedural memory with your motor skills, you must think about it to retrieve it. Procedural learning makes many parts of life simpler.
How procedural memory is developed
The procedural memory system is complex and involves several regions of the brain, including the cerebellum, caudate nucleus, putamen, and motor cortex. These parts of the brain play a role in learning and remembering gross motor skills (e.g., riding a bicycle or throwing a football), as well as fine motor skills (e.g., writing with a pen or playing the piano). The basal ganglia, a part of the brain's limbic system, supports learning through feedback and intrinsic rewards.
The role of procedural memory in learning motor skills
These parts of the brain work together to allow for coordinated and timed movements as you learn to perform a task. Once a task is formed, it is recalled automatically through procedural memory via the basal ganglia and cerebellum.
Procedural memory and the brain
A motor skill is primarily developed through practice and trial and error. Repeated actions must reinforce synapses in the brain to develop memory. When you first learn how to do something, you may often make mistakes and need to think about what you are doing. However, once the skill is learned, your procedural memory stores that information and recalls it automatically, without conscious thought.
Examples of procedural memory
While some uses of procedural memory—like walking and talking—are common among almost everyone, the specific tasks performed through procedural memory vary based on an individual’s experiences. Some common examples of procedural memory include:
- Typing
- Riding a bicycle
- Driving a car
- Chopping an onion
- Playing piano
- Swimming
- Climbing stairs
- Writing in print or cursive
- Answering a phone
You can probably come up with many more examples of procedural memory that are unique to what you have learned during your lifetime.
Procedural memory impairment
Several mental and physical health-related challenges can have an impact on your procedural memory.
Sleep hygiene
In recent years, several studies have been done looking into the role sleep plays in memory. The findings show that sleep hygiene affects your brain's ability to function properly, including when it comes to encoding and recalling memories.
One study looked specifically at procedural memory and the role of early sleep or late nocturnal sleep. Groups were tested on procedural memory tasks with no sleep, early sleep, and late sleep. The study concluded that people who slept soundly in late nocturnal sleep were more able to perform the tasks, indicating that healthy sleep hygiene, particularly a set amount of REM sleep late at night, can greatly improve procedural memory. Likewise, people without healthy sleep patterns may have difficulty performing tasks from procedural memory.
This is one reason why people are told not to drive if they are tired. Your responses may slow while driving if you’re tired, as the body's need for sleep can overcome nearly all its other intrinsic instincts, including the need for safety.
Dementia
Different forms of dementia, including dementia that is present in Alzheimer's disease, can cause memory impairment. Cognitive abilities are usually greatly decreased with dementia, and certain forms of long-term memory can eventually fail, typically after short-term memory has been impacted. Procedural memory works in a different way than other forms of long-term memory, though, so it is not affected as easily or early. One study showed that people with Alzheimer's, even in severe stages, could develop procedural memory and retain it for up to three months.
Parkinson's disease
There is evidence that people living with Parkinson's disease can experience deficits in procedural memory. Since Parkinson’s is associated with degeneration of the basal ganglia, which plays a key role in utilizing procedural memory, it can impair the brain’s ability to develop and maintain skills associated with procedural memory.
Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease is a genetic condition that leads to the degeneration of brain cells. Research has shown that people with Huntington's can experience difficulty utilizing procedural memory.
Implications in personal life and work
Psychologists who study brain function have developed theories that procedural memory can shape a person's personality. As you grow up, you learn certain behaviors and emotional responses to different stimuli. This shapes who you are, because your brain then later in life automatically issues those responses from procedural memory.
This is one reason why people have such a hard time breaking habits such as smoking or certain emotional responses. Once a process is stored in the procedural memory it is often very difficult to forget or consciously override with different behavior. Your procedural memory emits these responses automatically, so it sometimes takes a lot of willpower to be able to overcome them.
Another way that procedural memory knowledge has been applied is in organizational settings, such as large corporations and non-profits. The thought is that the complex, unique routines of an organization are stored in the procedural memory of the employees. Therefore, it can be more difficult for organizations to make changes and improvements.
To test this hypothesis, researchers performed a study to determine whether procedural memory played a role in organizational functioning. They concluded that the practices specific to an organization—which may not always be efficient or productive—are stored in procedural memory. This knowledge could assist organizations in understanding how to implement changes that could enhance employee performance.
How to improve procedural memory
There are several ways you can enhance your brain’s ability to utilize procedural memory. You can sometimes improve your procedural knowledge by watching someone else do the same thing you have already practiced doing. This is called observational learning. For example, after seeing how someone else kicks a soccer ball, you might learn new techniques that you can practice, ideally making them a part of your procedural memory.
In one study, researchers noted that piano players had an increased ability to learn a new skill, comparing it to our ability to memorize a new subject when we have existing knowledge of a related subject.
Additionally, because sleep disruptions can impair procedural memory, getting a good night’s sleep can help the brain utilize the benefits of rest. Consider creating a nighttime routine that allows you to wind down after the day and prepare yourself for sleep.
Online therapy with BetterHelp
Online therapy can provide you with valuable tools and support if you’re experiencing complex emotions related to memory impairment or similar life challenges. With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, you can work with a licensed therapist from home, through video calls, voice calls, or in-app messaging. Your mental health professional can connect you with exercises and other resources that may help you work through concerns related to memory and mood on your own time. With the right tools and the guidance of a licensed therapist, you can continue down the path to improved mental health.
Research shows that online therapy can be a useful method of treating mental health concerns associated with memory impairment. In a study on the efficacy of an online intervention for individuals with injury-related memory loss, researchers found that treatment could improve both memory and mood. These results can be added to a growing body of evidence pointing to online therapy as an effective form of care for a variety of mental health-related concerns.
Takeaway
1. Is brushing your teeth an example of procedural memory?
Yes, brushing your teeth is an example of a procedural memory task because the process typically involves simple motor skills that require minimal to no conscious awareness. Declarative and procedural memory are both types of long-term memory, but declarative learning involves facts, data, and events rather than procedural learning of how to do a task.
2. What is an example of an explicit memory?
Explicit and implicit memory are both types of long-term memory; however, explicit (also known as declarative) memory involves consciously working to recall specific facts, events, or experiences. Implicit memory involves remembering information that wasn’t purposefully retained. Remembering the date of your birthday party last year is an example of an explicit memory because you can intentionally bring it to mind and consciously recall the specific event, the people who were there, the activities that took place, and other details about that day. Other examples of explicit memory include recalling names and phone numbers or remembering items on a list.
Explicit memory can be further divided into two subtypes:
Episodic: Memories of specific events or experiences, like the birthday party example
Semantic: General knowledge about the world, such as knowing that Paris is the capital of France
3. Is walking an example of procedural memory?
Yes, walking is an example of procedural memory because it involves long-term information storage on performing an action or skill. Other examples of skill learning through procedural memory include tying a shoe, swimming, and talking.
4. What is an example of procedural memory in AP Psychology?
One example of procedural memory in AP Psychology is learning to ride a bike. Procedural memory is responsible for storing information on tasks that become automatic over time. The process of learning to ride a bike involves motor skills and coordination, like balancing, pedaling, and steering. Once learned, these skills are stored in procedural memory, allowing you to ride a bike without consciously thinking about each movement. Even if you haven’t ridden a bike in a long time, chances are you’ll still remember how to do it because the procedural memory remains intact.
5. Isreading an example of procedural memory?
Yes, like walking, talking, riding a bike, and swimming, reading is another example of procedural memory.
6. Is procedural memory subconscious?
While they are often used interchangeably, there are differences between the terms subconscious and unconscious that may make it more appropriate to label procedural memory as an unconscious process. Within the context of psychoanalytic theory, The American Psychological Association (APA) defines the unconscious as “the region of the psyche containing memories, emotional conflicts, wishes, and repressed impulses that are not directly accessible to awareness but that have dynamic effects on thought and behavior.” Research also reveals that the unconscious plays a significant role in learning and memory during sleep. While studies continue to explore the connection, scientists now understand that humans can process and organize information to store as long-term memories during REM sleep via neuronal activity in the hippocampus and neocortex.
7. What are emotional memories called?
Emotional memories are also often referred to as episodic memories. These are memories about something that evokes an emotional response, such as fearfully recalling an accident or joyfully describing your last vacation.
8. What kind of processing do you need to really remember something?
The primary processes associated with the memory system include encoding (how the information is learned), storing (how learned information is stored in the memory system), and retrieval (how individuals access the stored information). For memory acquisition, your brain engages in several cognitive processes that help encode, store, and retrieve information effectively. Some examples of memorization techniques that facilitate this process include:
- Attention: To remember things, you must focus on them first. Attention acts as a filter that helps prioritize what information gets processed and encoded into memory.
- Deep processing: This type of processing involves considering the meaning behind a stimulus, making connections with what you already know, and organizing the information in a way that makes sense to you. Examples of deep processing include creating associations, elaboration, generating examples, or visualizing the information—all techniques that may lead to better memory retention than shallow processing (simply repeating information).
- Organization: The process by which we organize information can make it easier to remember. For example, organizing information into meaningful units or "chunks" (like breaking down a phone number into smaller groups) can make it easier to remember. Structuring information in a hierarchy (like general concepts followed by specific details) is another method one can use to better organize and recall memories.
- Rehearsal: Techniques like maintenance rehearsal in which the individual repeats information might help short-term memory, but it typically doesn’t help with long-term retention. Elaborative rehearsal is another rehearsal method that involves thinking about the meaning of the information and its connections to other knowledge. It is typically more effective for transferring information into long-term memory.
- Emotional engagement: Emotional reactions to a stimulus can enhance memory and make emotionally significant events easier to remember. This is because the brain processes such memories differently, often making them more vivid and persistent.
- Contextual learning: The environment in which you learn something can serve as a cue for retrieval. If you learn information in a specific context, you might remember it better if you’re in a similar context.
- State-dependent learning: Your physical and emotional state during learning can also influence memory. Like environmental cues, you’re more likely to recall information if you’re in the same state during retrieval as you were during encoding.
- Active recall: This type of retrieval process involves actively retrieving information from memory to strengthen the memory trace. This is why techniques like self-testing or teaching others are effective for long-term retention. Also, reviewing information at increasing intervals over time can help reinforce memory, making it less likely to fade.
- Visualization and mnemonics: Creating mental images or visual representations of information can help in working memory formation and retention, particularly when the information is complex or abstract. Additionally, using mnemonic devices like acronyms or rhymes can create cues that might make information easier to recall.
9. What is procedural memory in trauma?
Procedural memory helps us remember how to perform tasks and actions without conscious awareness. Over time, such skills become automatic. Trauma can play a significant role in procedural memory because traumatic experiences can imprint on this type of memory.
For example, traumatic experiences can be stored in procedural memory as bodily sensations or actions, leading to physical responses or automatic reactions to stimuli without the person consciously realizing why they are reacting that way. This can manifest as tension, flinching, or other bodily reactions when faced with a situation that resembles a traumatic event.
A person who has experienced trauma may have heightened awareness or automatic defensive behaviors stored in their procedural memory. This could lead to quick, automatic responses to perceived threats (hypervigilance), even if those threats are not real in the current situation. Additionally, because procedural memory is associated with habits and routines, it might be challenging to “unlearn” the automatic responses developed due to trauma. Even after the traumatic event has passed, the body might continue to respond as if the threat is still present.
Therapeutic approaches to trauma, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), somatic therapy, or other body-focused therapies, often focus on helping individuals become more aware of such automatic responses so they may work through them. Once individuals process their traumatic memories, such methods of therapy can help them “retrain” their procedural memory to respond differently to triggers.
What part of the brain is involved in episodic memory?
Where are procedural memories stored in the brain?
What is the difference between explicit and declarative memory?
What is an example of procedural learning?
Which best describes episodic memory?
What stage of sleep is important for the consolidation of procedural memories?
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