Unconscious processing and memory: What can we really retrieve

The role of unconsciously processed stimuli on memory was examined in an implicit memory task and an explicit memory task. Current views of memory assume conscious encoding of information. The type of retrieval defined the type of memory being accessed. Experiment 1 tested implicit memory using a perceptual identification test of words that were unconsciously processed at study. Unconsciously processed words were identified better than consciously processed words indicating that there is a direct relationship between unconscious encoding and implicit retrieval. Experiment 2 tested recognition memory for unconsciously processed words using “remember” and “know” judgments. There was no evidence for nay explicit memory of unconsciously processed words as the A' scores were at chance levels. The current findings need to be incorporated in any model of memory.