Which type of memory is commonly described as muscle memory?

• A. Procedural memory
• B. Semantic memory
• C. Episodic memory
• D. Implicit knowledge

Answer: (A)

Muscle memory refers to your learned motor skills becoming automatic through practice. This is procedural memory—the memory of "how to" do things, like riding a bike, typing, or playing a musical piece, that you can perform without consciously thinking through each step. Semantic memory covers general facts and meanings, while episodic memory covers personal experiences, and both typically involve conscious recall. Implicit knowledge is a broader idea of things learned without awareness, but the everyday sense of muscle memory points most directly to procedural memory.