Handbook of Implicit Learning

Research on implicit learning - a cognitive phenomenon in which people acquire knowledge without conscious intent or awareness - has been growing exponentially. This volume draws together this research, offering the reference on implicit learning by those who have been instrumental in shaping the field.



Although research on implicit learning, a cognitive phenomenon in which people acquire new knowledge without conscious intent or awareness, has been growing exponentially, there hasnÆt been a single resource on the topicùuntil now. Aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of implicit learning, the prestigious contributors to this volume explore the fieldÆs controversies, the functional characteristics of implicit learning, brain mechanisms, and the neurological foundations for implicit learning, connectionist models of implicit learning, and applications of implicit learning to acquiring new mental skills. The editors open the book by examining the definition of implicit learning: Frensch considers the multiple meanings of the term; Stadler and Roediger consider aspects of the definition that hinge on the issue of awareness; and, Buchner and Wippich compare and contrast implicit learning with implicit memory. Next, the contributors discuss the various forms of implicit and the paradigms used to study it. Berry and Cook explore recent work on invariance learning; Hoffman considers the issue of the structure of what subjects learn in implicit learning experiments; Manza, Zizak, and Reber review work on artificial grammar learning that uses preference judgment task as a measure of learning; Mathews and Cochran examine the generativity of implicit knowledge via the use of the artificial grammar learning paradigm; Reed and Johnson look at implicit learning from the perspective of work done with serial reaction time tasks; and Seger explores the possibility of multiple forms of implicit learning. The book concludes with an investigation of various theoretical and empirical issues in implicit learning, such as: CleeremansÆ connectionist model; CurranÆs look at cognitive neuroscientific evidence; GoschkeÆs investigation of perceptual and motor mechanisms of implicit learning; an analysis of the developmental perspectives of Hoyer, Willingham, Perruchet, and Vinter; Hsaiao and ReberÆs review of evidence on the role of attention in implicit learning; and Shanks and JohnstoneÆs alternative account of learning in serial reation time tasks. This handbook offers readers the first complete reference on implicit learning by those who have been instrumental in shaping the field. This handbook offers readers the first complete reference on implicit learning by those who have been instrumental in shaping the field. Professionals and practitioners in experimental psychology, psychology, management, and organizational behavior will find the Handbook of Implicit Learning an essential reference tool.