What is the Difference Between Declarative and Procedural Memory

March 28, 2023 Posted by Dr.Samanthi

for exams
The key difference between declarative and procedural memory is that declarative memory is associated with the
memories of things people intentionally remember and require conscious effort to recall, while procedural
memory is associated with the memories of things people do not intentionally remember and does not require
conscious effort to recall.

Memory can be classified into different categories based on the kind of content. There are two main types as long
and short-term memory. Long-term memory has a relatively unlimited reserve and can be kept in the brain for a
long period of time. On the other hand, short-term memory has a brief comparison. Moreover, long-term
memory is further classified into declarative memory and procedural memory.

What is Declarative Memory?

Declarative memory is a type of memory associated with the memories of things that people intentionally
remember and require conscious effort to recall. It is a type of explicit memory. The prefrontal cortex and the
hippocampus are the brain structures that control declarative memory.
subconciuously

Declarative and Procedural Memory - Side by Side Comparison

Types of Declarative Memory

There are two types of declarative memory; they are episodic memory and semantic memory. senses
Episodic memory contains information based on the specific events that have occurred throughout life. These
memories are often associated with personal history and life events such as the first day at school, a favourite
book, where a person was when the traumatic event took place, the setting of the first date with their partner,
etc.
facts and concepts
On the other hand, Semantic memory contains information that is factual or conceptual in nature. Examples of
semantic memory include understanding math formulas, understanding the difference between animals like birds
and cats, knowing the exact date of a popular date, such as the moon landing, knowing who the prime minister is
in 2023, and the ability to associate words with their meanings.
 writing with a pen
What is Procedural Memory? automatization
Procedural memory is a type of memory associated with the memories of things that people do not intentionally
remember and require conscious effort to recall. It is a type of implicit memory. People use procedural memory
for a variety of actions. Examples of procedural memory may include writing with a pen, typing on the keyboard,
playing sports like basketball, playing the piano, swimming in a pool, and preparing simple meals.

Declarative vs Procedural Memory in Tabular Form

Brain regions involved in the formation and maintenance of procedural memory are the cerebellum and limbic
system. Furthermore, there are certain based disorders or conditions that may impact procedural memory,
including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury, and major depressive disorder.

What are the Similarities Between Declarative and Procedural Memory?

Declarative memory and procedural memory are two different long-term memories.
Both memories are controlled by specific parts of the brain.
They are extremely important to maintain a quality lifestyle.
Both memories are affected by different disorders.

What is the Difference Between Declarative and Procedural Memory?

Declarative memory is a type of memory associated with memories people intentionally remember and require
conscious effort to recall, while procedural memory is a type of memory associated with memories people do not
intentionally remember and do notes require conscious effort to recall. Thus, this is the key difference between
declarative memory and procedural memory. Furthermore, declarative memory is a type of explicit memory, while
procedural memory is a type of implicit memory.

The below infographic presents the differences between declarative memory and procedural memory in tabular
form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Declarative vs Procedural Memory
Declarative memory and procedural memory are two different long-term memories. Both these memories have a
relatively unlimited reserve and can be kept in the brain for a long period of time. Declarative memory is
associated with the memories that people intentionally remember and require conscious effort to recall. In
contrast, procedural memory is associated with the memories of things that people do not intentionally
remember, and it does not require conscious effort to recall. Thus, this summarizes the difference between
declarative and procedural memory.

Reference:
1. “Declarative Memory – an Overview.” | ScienceDirect.
2. Cherry, Kendra. “How Procedural Memory Works.” Verywell Mind.

Image Courtesy:
1. “Schematic memory” By Garethlines – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Diagram based on Squire and Zola (1996) about decalarative and non-declarative memory” By SFWalker – Own
work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia