How Implicit Is Implicit Learning? »

University of Reading

Implicit learning is said to occur when someone learns about a complex stimulus without the intention of doing so, and in such a way that the knowledge is difficult to express. A number of studies have claimed to show evidence of implicit learning, but more recently, considerable debate has arisen over the extent to which cognitive tasks are learned implicitly. Most of the debate centers on the questions of how unconscious, and how abstract, is implicit knowledge. This book provides students and researchers with a self-contained and balanced summary of the various theoretical and empirical positions that are currently shaping this exciting area of research.

Booknews

Coined by Arthur Reber 30 years ago, the term is used to characterize situations in which a person learns about the structures of a fairly complex stimulus environment without intending to do so, then has difficulty in expressing the resulting knowledge. Eight contributions address the arguments about the validity of the concept and the proper interpretation of the data concerning it. The authors also consider the degree to which implicitly acquired knowledge is abstract and unconscious. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.