Intact Conceptual Priming in the Absence of Declarative Memory

Priming is an unconscious (nondeclarative) form of memory whereby identification or production of an item is improved by an earlier encounter. It has been proposed that declarative memory and priming might be related--for example, that conceptual priming results in more fluent processing, thereby pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological science 2004-10, Vol.15 (10), p.680-686
Main Authors: Levy, D. A., Stark, C. E. L., Squire, L. R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amnesia
Cognition
Control groups
Declarative memory
Experimental psychology
Female
Humans
Judgment
Lesions
Male
Memory
Neuropsychology
Prefrontal cortex
Psychology
Recognition memory
Temporal lobe
Wechsler Scales
Word Association Tests
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Summary:Priming is an unconscious (nondeclarative) form of memory whereby identification or production of an item is improved by an earlier encounter. It has been proposed that declarative memory and priming might be related--for example, that conceptual priming results in more fluent processing, thereby providing a basis for familiarity judgments. In two experiments, we assessed conceptual priming and recognition memory across a 5-min interval in 5 memory-impaired patients. All patients exhibited fully intact priming in tests of both free association (study tent; at test, provide an association to canvas) and category verification (study lemon; at test, decide: Is lemon a type of fruit?). Yet the 2 most severely amnesic patients performed at chance on matched tests of recognition memory. These findings count against the notion that conceptual priming provides feelings of familiarity that can support accurate recognition judgments. We suggest that priming is inaccessible to conscious awareness and does not influence declarative memory.
ISSN:0956-7976
1467-9280
DOI:10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00740.x