6. Forgetting

Question 1

Seven sins acronym

Answer 1

The 
Absolute 
Best
Memory
System 
Brings 
Problems

Question 2

Transience (forgetting)

Answer 2

Due to time or interference

Describes the levelling off of the forgetting curve at long delays, beyond this memories appear impervious to further forgetting

Question 3

Permastore

Answer 3

Bahrick

Permanent memory store, things must be transferred here within 2 years

For example forgetting a foreign language stops after about 2 years, what you remember then you will always remember

Similar to consolidation

Question 4

Forgetting curve

Answer 4

Steep initially- maybe due to weakened memories during consolidation??

Eventually levels off… Permastore

Question 5

Josts law

Answer 5

If 2 memories are equal strength but A is older than B… The oldest will become stronger and more robust in a given time frame

This is because the slope is much less steep for A in a given time frame so there is less forgetting that can occur

Question 6

Half life

Answer 6

Half life of a memory trace reflects the strength of initial learning

Greater half life = stronger encoding and less prone to interference

Question 7

Accelerated forgetting

Answer 7

Patients with temporal, lobe epilepsy show increased long term forgetting and a greater rate of forgetting

Question 8

Decay

Answer 8

Loss of availability rather than accessibility

The wasting effects of time, gradual weakening of memories

Decay when they are not used
- time based resource sharing model… Info decays until we can refresh it again through rehearsal or attention

Particularly important in WM where memories must be kept active

DIFFICULT TO ISOLATE FROM INTERFERENCE

Question 9

Criticism of decay theory

Answer 9

McGeoch

Items not recalled, can be recalled later

Forgetting is determined by number or density of events during retention

Forgetting is higher after waking than sleep

Question 10

Retroactive interference

Answer 10

New memory trace interferes with an older memory trace

Reduces availability of the old trace rather than pushing it out- competition at retrieval

Useful for updating knowledge!

Question 11

Proactive interference

Answer 11

An old memory interferes with a new memory

Eg calling new be by old bf’s name

Question 12

Two factor interference theory

Answer 12

1. Unlearning = earlier representations are weakened

2. Response competition= earlier representations remain but there is competition at retrieval

Question 13

Increasing proactive interference

Answer 13

Similar learning experiences (shared cue)

If there are multiple targets for 1 cue there are multiple route that could be taken and therefore increases the risk of error.. Following the wrong path

Question 14

Interference and amnesia

Answer 14

Amnesia patients given memory task then either wakeful resting or a distracting task

Wakeful resting aided recall
Distractor meant they remembered nothing- very susceptible to retroactive interference

Question 15

Decay and interference

Answer 15

Hpc is resistant to interference, good at distinct pattern remembering and keeping events separate. More likely to suffer from decay.

Neocortex is not good at pattern separation so more likely to suffer from interference

Amnesic patients lack hpc, so they are unable to store events as separate, so suffer more from interference

Question 16

Recollection and interference

Answer 16

Recollection is driven by the hpc so is resistant to interference and suffers from decay

Hpc supports episodic memory which binds memories in spatial-temporal context so they are distinct events

Question 17

Familiarity and interference

Answer 17

Non hpc areas so more likely to suffer from interference as cannot keep memories distinct

Question 18

Cues improve…

Answer 18

Accessibility

Question 19

Recognition vs recall

Answer 19

Recognition is generally superior to recall

Due to presence of retrieval cues
Can accurately respond on basis of familiarity rather than knowing required for free recall

Question 20

Blocking

Answer 20

Tip of the tongue phenomena 
20% young adults 
Occurs more with increased frustration 
Reduced by recognition
Due to limited speech activation?

Question 21

Missattribution

Answer 21

Source memory confusion

Consequence for eyewitness etc

Remembering something that they didn’t really experience

Question 22

Suggestibility

Answer 22

Memory is liable to distortion and error as a result of suggestion

Eg presenting false photos and asked for description of the memory

Similar to Missattribution- only suggestibility MUST have the presence of suggestion

Question 23

Bias

Answer 23

Schemes and long term knowledge of the world can influence and district memory

Constructive nature of memory

Memory has a positivity bias- likely to remember more positive events

Question 24

Confabulation

Answer 24

Clinically significant false statements that are made without the intention to deceive

Clinical feature of Korsakoffs amnesia

Problem ends with memory and control mean that patients construct memories to replace those that are missing to make sense of the world

Qualities very similar to real memory

Question 25

Persistence

Answer 25

Cannot forget memories

Hyperthymestic syndrome= unusual, superior autobiographical memory

Question 26

Why forgetting is useful

Answer 26

Update knowledge 
Forget horrible events 
Prevents mental clutter to allow focus on relevant stimuli 
Free up resources 
Exact record of the past is useless

Question 27

Efficiency of memory

Answer 27

Evolved to be of optimum use

Huge capacity
Ability to think flexibly
Utilise and manipulate knowledge for new situations

Costs for memory are fallibility

Question 28

Seven sins of memory

Answer 28

Transience 
Absent mindedness*
Blocking*
Miss attribution*
Suggestibility 
Bias 
Persistence 

• forgetting

Question 29

Rate of forgetting

Answer 29

Fast in amnesics
Slow in AM
Slow in implicit memory