CORRELATIONAL ANALYSES OF PROCEDURAL AND DECLARATIVE LEARNING-PERFORMANCE

We measured individual differences on procedural and declarative learn ing of a sequence-learning task developed by Nissen and Bullemer (1987 ) and compared both scores to one another and to scores on a performan ce battery. Participants (N = 455) completed the sequence-learning tas k, a visual spatial task, a verbal reasoning task, a concept identific ation task, a visual maze task, forward and backward digit span, a per ceptual-motor speed and attention test, and four force-control tasks. Declarative learning of the sequence-learning task was more strongly r elated to performance on other cognitive and motor tasks than was proc edural learning of the sequence. Likewise, declarative but not procedu ral learning scores were correlated with earlier WAIS-R full-scale IQ scores available for most (N = 435) participants. Procedural and decla rative learning of the sequence-learning task were also correlated (r = .486) with one another. A framework is proposed to account for the p attern of results based on a combination of approaches to explain diss ociations found in memory. We suggest that (a) procedural learning of the sequence is task specific, (b) declarative learning of the sequenc e shares component processes with the other cognitive and motor tasks, (c) procedural and declarative learning of the sequence share compone nt processes specific to learning the pattern, and (d) declarative lea rning of the sequence may be more predictive of general intelligence.