Effects of dividing attention on memory for declarative and procedural aspects of tool use

Abstract

Tool-related knowledge and skills are supported by a complex set of memory processes that are not well understood. Some aspects of tools are mediated by either declarative or procedural memory, while other aspects may rely on an interaction of both systems. Although motor skill learning is believed to be primarily supported by procedural memory, there is debate in the current literature regarding the role of declarative memory. Growing evidence suggests that declarative memory may be involved during early stages of motor skill learning, although findings have been mixed. In the current experiment, healthy, younger adults were trained to use a set of novel complex tools and were tested on their memory for various aspects of the tools. Declarative memory encoding was interrupted by dividing attention during training. Findings showed that dividing attention during training was detrimental for subsequent memory for tool attributes as well as accurate demonstration of tool use and tool grasping. However, dividing attention did not interfere with motor skill learning, suggesting that declarative memory is not essential for skill learning associated with tools.