Declarative learning

Declarative learning is acquiring information that one can speak about. Contrast with motor learning. The capital of a state is a declaritive piece of information, while knowing how to ride a bike is not. Episodic memory and semantic memory are a further division of declarative information.

There are two ways to learn a telephone number, memorize it using your Declarative Memory or punch it into your brain 1,000 times to create a habit. Habit learning is called striatal memory or striatum memory.

Declarative memory uses your Medial Temporal Lobe and you can recall the telephone number at will. Habit (Striatum) memory activates the telephone number only when you are at the phone and uses your right-hemisphere's skill of Pattern Recognition.

Research indicates Declarative and Habit memory compete with each other during distraction. When in doubt the brain chooses Habit memory because it is automatic. Google Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 7.25.07 Russell A. Poldrack UCLA.