Final answer:
Prospective memories are related to explicit and implicit memory, with implicit memories including procedural, priming, and emotional conditioning which affect our behaviors unconsciously. Explicit memory involves intentional recall of events and facts. Memory construction and reconstruction highlights the dynamic nature of long-term memory and potential distortions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Prospective Memories and Implicit Memory
Prospective memories involve the aspect of memory related to intentions and the planning of future actions. This collates with two types of memories: explicit memory and implicit memory. Explicit memory refers to memories we consciously try to remember and recall, involving specific information related to events and facts we consciously note, like the memories of what one does or what happens to them.
Implicit memory, on the other hand, is acquired and used unconsciously, affecting thoughts and behaviors without our active awareness. These types of memories include procedural memories (e.g., riding a bicycle), priming (e.g., more quickly recognizing a word we have seen recently), and emotional conditioning (e.g., feeling uneasy in a place where one had a past negative experience). Although these memories are not in our conscious awareness, they significantly influence our behavior and skills.
Memory construction and reconstruction, particularly with long-term memory, is a dynamic process that can alter with the retrieval of memories. As such, memories can include modifications and inaccuracies, sometimes leading to false memory syndrome where recollections are distorted. This is an essential understanding in psychology because it acknowledges that memory is not a static entity but an active and reconstructive process.