Procedural memory: what it is, types and 3 exercises to improve it

  • Jul 26, 2021
click fraud protection
Procedural memory: what it is, types and exercises to improve it

The systematic study of implicit memory systems only began a few years ago. In effect, procedural memory has been ignored until a few years ago, and is, instead, the most important and widespread memory in living beings. It is present in numerous species of animals (in fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) and is the first to be activated in humans, already present in the fetus and in the newborn. Procedural or implicit memory is the first to appear in the child and the last to decline in the elderly. In this Psychology-Online article we will see what it is, the different types and some exercises to improve procedural memory.

You may also like: Episodic memory: what it is, examples and exercises to improve it

Index

  1. What is procedural memory in psychology
  2. Procedural memory types
  3. How Procedural Memory Works
  4. Brain areas involved in procedural memory
  5. Procedural memory examples
  6. Exercises to improve procedural memory

What is procedural memory in psychology.

Procedural memory is memory of how things are done and how objects are used

. What does procedural memory store? In everyday life, people rely every day on the memory of the procedure, the kind of memory that allows them to remember how to tie shoes or ride a bike without consciously thinking about these activities. Procedural memory refers, then, to that information, rarely known, that appears time during development and that allows the acquisition of skills and competencies in the action. The distinctive characteristics of the procedural document are the following:

  • The acquisition of implicit knowledge and procedural skills occurs randomly, that is, without conscious effort.
  • Implicit and procedural knowledge are not accessible to conscious introspection and cannot be described verbally.
  • This knowledge will be used in automatic way.
  • They improve with practice.

People who have a good procedural memory certainly benefit from adapting to new work activities or developments in the context of the same job. The loss of this type of memory, on the other hand, makes daily activities such as dressing and washing difficult. It seems to hold longer than the semantic memory and it is for this reason that they are seen to be sick who have difficulty finding the words and do not understand their meaning but can instead sing old songs.

In the following article, we explain all the memory types.

Types of procedural memory.

Procedural memory is made up of a mosaic of very different subcomponents. They have been identified:

  • Systems for acquiring cognitive-motor proceduress, such as the ability to walk, ride a bike, speak, etc.
  • Systems for acquiring conditional reflexes, for example salivation reflected in the presence of a good plate.
  • The systems underlying the priming, an important phenomenon that affects the visual and auditory perception.

How procedural memory works.

The term "procedural memory" refers to motor, perceptual, and cognitive skills and habits. Sometimes called "skills and habits" memory, procedural memory is characterized by acquiring a motor ability, for example playing the piano, which after numerous repetitions becomes automatic. When a skill has become a routine or a habit, it can be loaded into other systems brain cells such as the ganglia of the base, the motor cortex and the cerebellum, where it is processed unconsciously. A skill that has become "second nature" no longer requires careful cortical monitoring. Research on procedural memory indicates that it operates through a mental process other than memory declarative: we thus have a memory that was originally declarative memory and that ends up becoming automatic.

However, it is important to emphasize that procedural memory is not just a memory of motor skills, since than other forms of memory, unrelated to motor skills, are often classified under memory procedural. For example, problem solving often requires the intervention of a form of memory that It allows to recover ways of proceeding and sequences of actions of which the person is not aware. In other words, where there is some manifestation of learning without remembering how to do something, we speak of procedural memory.

Brain areas involved in procedural memory.

The brain areas that are involved in procedural memory are completely different from those that are involved in procedural memory. semantic and episodic memory and refer to the region of the ganglia of the cranial base of the additional motor area and to the cerebellum.

  • The dorsolateral striatum it is associated with the acquisition of habits and is the main nucleus of neuronal cells linked to procedural memory.
  • The cerebellum is known to play a role in movement correction and fine-tuning of motor agility required in procedural skills such as painting, instrument sound, and sports such as Golf. Damage in this area can prevent the proper reopening of motor skills and this structure has been associated with a role in automating the unconscious process of learning process. Meet here the parts and functions of the cerebellum.
  • The limbic system it shares the anatomy with a component of the neostriatum, credited with the main task of controlling procedural memory. Here you can see the parts and functions of the limbic system.
Procedural memory: what it is, types and exercises to improve it - Brain areas involved in procedural memory

Examples of procedural memory.

Procedural learning is the acquisition of new procedural skills, which can then be recalled by memory when necessary. The acquisition of new skills requires practice above all, although practice does not by itself guarantee the acquisition of a skill. Think of a driving lesson: until the skill is acquired, an effort is necessary cognitive to put into practice the individual gestures and behaviors that serve to lead a car. Once the skill is acquired, memory can be invoked automatically and without conscious effort.

Professional musicians and athletes are said to excel, in part, for their superior ability to form procedural memories. Procedural memory is also important in language development, allowing a person to speak without having to think hard about correct grammar and syntax. Some examples of activities that depend on the procedure:

  • Play the piano
  • Skiing
  • Ice skating
  • Play baseball
  • To swim
  • Riding a bicycle
  • Climb a wall

Exercises to improve procedural memory.

Like any muscle, even the brain needs constant training and healthy lifestyle habits, which also include a balanced diet. The brain and the rest of the body, in effect, are an organic whole: treating your own body well can also improve brain capacities, including those related to memory. But in the case of specific exercises to improve procedural memory, we can concentrate on evoking real procedures, such as:

  • Remember a recipe and carry out the sequence of actions.
  • To evoke a game and go through all the actions that lead to its realization.
  • Remember a song and play it whole with a musical instrument.
Procedural memory: what it is, types and exercises to improve it - Exercises to improve procedural memory

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Procedural memory: what it is, types and exercises to improve it, we recommend that you enter our category of Neuropsychology.

Bibliography

  • Brandimonta, A. (2021). Sistemi di memoria. Recovered from: http://math.unife.it/ssis/allegati/indicazioni-programmi/pascali/SSIS.Memoria.pdf
  • Mancia, M. (et al.) (2007). Psychoanalysis and neuroscienze. Milan: Springer-Verlag.
  • Oasi, O., Cavagna, D. (et al.) (2004). Percorsi di dynamic psychology. Milan: Franco Angeli.
  • Ricci Garrotti, F. (et al.) (1999). Linguistic immersion. A prospective new. Milan: Franco Angeli.
instagram viewer