Incidental memory is defined as the ability to acquire and recall information that was unintentionally encoded and stored.[1] It describes how memory formation occurs incidentally as a byproduct of engaging in other activities without conscious and deliberate efforts to remember and meaningfully process the information.[2]
Incidental memory fosters incidental learning of inadvertently learning information, skills, and experiences during other tasks.[3] This is considered to be more prominent in everyday situations since individuals more commonly remember incidents and information without the intention of doing so through observation, repetition and social interaction.[3] Few examples of incidental memory include remembering exactly how one meets a friend, or a scene in a favourite movie.[4]