Implicit learning

Implicit learning is learning of complex information in an incidental manner, without awareness of what has been learned. It may require a certain minimal amount of attention and may depend on attentional and working memory mechanisms. The result of implicit learning is implicit knowledge in the form of abstract (but possibly instantiated) representations rather than verbatim or aggregate representations.

Some examples from daily life like 'learning how to ride a bicycle or learning to swim' can be given to demonstrate the nature of implicit learning and its mechanism. There are clear similarities between implicit learning and implicit memory. It has been claimed that implicit learning differs from explicit learning in terms of the presence or absence of consciously accessible knowledge. Much evidence supports the distinction between implicit and explicit learning. Researches on amnesia often show intact implicit learning but impaired explicit learning. In addition, brain areas involved in working memory and attention are often more active during explicit than implicit learning.

See also

• Implicit memory
• Implicit cognition