PROCEDURAL LEARNING AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND STABILITY OF CHARACTER

This manuscript presents a neuropsychological model of the development and stability of human character. We define character as those things which people do routinely, automatically, and unconsciously-those whi ch make people knowable and predictable. According to the model, the s ubstrate of character is comprised of one's phenotypically based tempe ramental predispositions. This substrate is modified as a result of ex perience. Research has indicated the existence of multiple, relatively independent memory systems, and we are particularly interested in the distinction that has been made between declarative and procedural lea rning. Declarative memory involves recall of information and events, w hile procedural memory involves the learning of skills and other proce sses. In neurologically intact persons, these systems work in concert, yet they are relatively independent of one another. This model constr ains the concept of character in a manner that allows researchers to a ddress several issues, including (1) the manner in which character dev elops over time, (2) the mechanisms involved in the stability of chara cter, and (3) the processes likely to be associated with character cha nge.