One important source of data leading to notion of functionally distinct memory systems is the finding that amnesic patients, who are impaired on a wide range of memory tasks, can nevertheless exhibit normal learning on many tasks presumably supported by nondeclarative (implicit) memory. Recent work l have just completed (see proposal background) with amnesic patients further indicates that declarative and nondeclarative memory have different operating characteristics. Declarative memory affords awareness and supports the flexible use of task knowledge in situations different from the original learning while nondeclarative memory does not afford awareness and is relatively inflexible. Three experiments are proposed here that continue to investigate dissociable properties of declarative and nondeclarative memory. The first addresses the debate as to whether implicit memory stores only fragmentary specific knowledge from the learning experience or whether implicit memory is also capable of storing abstract rules. The second experiment further examines the flexibility of nondeclarative memory. The third experiment investigates the role of implicit memory in problem solving by asking whether amnesic patients exhibit a bias in problem solving towards previously successful strategies. Together these experiments will enhance our understanding of the operation of implicit memory and its role in high level cognitive function.
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