ABSTRACT
Implicit memory refers to the influence of a previous experience on subsequent behavior without conscious recollection of that experience (Graf & Schacter, 1985; Schacter, 1987). In contrast, explicit memory denotes conscious recollection of a previous experience. Much of the current interest in implicit memory is attributable to its relative immunity to conditions that cause profound changes in explicit memory. Examples of special populations who have shown normal performance on certain implicit memory measures despite significant explicit memory impairment include subjects with amnesia attributable to Korsakoff’s disease or medial temporal lobe injury (e.g., Cermak, Talbot, Chandler, & Wolbarst, 1985; Graf & Mandler, 1984), Huntington’s disease (e.g., Heindel, Salmon, Shults, Walicke, & Butters, 1989), and Alzheimer’s disease (e.g., Keane, Gabrieli, Fennema, Growdon, & Corkin, 1991; Partridge, Knight, & Feehan, 1990).
