Preserved recognition in a case of developmental amnesia: Implications forthe acquisition of semantic memory?

We report the performance on recognition memory tests of Jon, who, despite amnesia from early childhood, has developed normal levels of performance on tests of intelligence, language, and general knowledge. Despite impaired r ecall, he performed within the normal range on each of six recognition test s, but he appears to lack the recollective phenomenological experience norm ally associated with episodic memory. His recall of previously unfamiliar n ewsreel events was impaired, but gained substantially from repetition over a 2-day period. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the rec ollective process of episodic memory is not necessary either for recognitio n or for the acquisition of semantic knowledge.