8 - Forgetting : Inteference Flashcards
Define forgetting
A persons loss of ability to recall or recognise something they have previously learned.
What is interference theory?
It claims forgetting occurs when one memory disrupts our ability to recall another.
This is most likely to occur when the memories are similar to one another.
Define retroactive interference
When current attempts to learn something interfere with last learning.
E.g driving on the right side of the road after coming back from a two week holiday in a France where you were driving on the left.
Define proactive interference
When past learning interferes with current attempts to learn something.
E.g when a teacher calls a new student by a former student’s name.
What are the positives of interference theory?
Findings from a number of studies were analysed and it was found that participants who learned ten or more lists of words the next day they only recalled 20% . If they learned one list of words then they recalled over 70% . This supports proactive interference.
Participants were given a list of words to learn off by heart. Then they learned a new list. The new list was either synonyms or antonyms. They were then asked to recall the original list. Participants given the antonyms had the worst recall. Learning two lists of words that have the same meaning causes retroactive interference.
Practical applications - students shouldn’t learn similar material at the same time
What are the negatives of interference theory?
It can be argued that retrieval failure is a better explanation of forgetting in everyday life.
Divers were told to learn and recall word lists on either dry land or underwater.
Results showed that words learnt and recalled in the same context were better remembered as there were cues to help them remember the words.
This suggests that retrieval failure plays a role in forgetting.
-When interference occurs the loss of information may only be temporary, therefore interference is not a true explanation for forgettingbecause the information is not actually over-written and is still in LTM.
