Explanations For Forgetting Flashcards
1
Q
Interference
A
- This occurs when one memory disturbs the ability to recall another
- This might result in forgetting or distorting one or the other
- This is more likely to happen if the memories are similar
2
Q
Proactive interference
A
- This is when new info is being interfered with
- Previously learnt information interferes with the new information you are trying to store
3
Q
Retroactive interference
A
- Old info being interfered with
- New info ‘overwrites’ previously stored info
4
Q
Supporting study (interference)- Baddely and Hitch (1977)
A
- They asked rugby players to try to remember the names of the teams they had played so far in that season, week by week
- Because most of the players had missed games, for some the last team they played may have been 3 weeks for example.
- The results very clearly showed that accurate recall did not depend on how long ago the matches took place, but instead based on how many matched had been played since then
- This study shows that interference explanations can apply to at least some everyday situations
5
Q
Evaluation of interference as an explanation for forgetting
A
- Evidence from lab studies: There are thousands of lab experiments that have been carried out into this explanation for forgetting e.g McGeoch and McDonald. This is a strength as they are highly controlled of any effects of irrelevant stimuli
- Artificial material: The tasks facing participants in lab experiments are to learn lists. This is quite distant from the things we learn and try to remember in everyday life e.g people’s faces. This is a limitation as the use of artificial tasks make interference much more likely in a lab, but less likely in the real world
6
Q
Absence of cues
A
- Forgetting according to this theory is due to a lack of cues
- When we learn new information, we also encode the context (external cues) in which we learn the information, and the mental state we are in (internal cues)
7
Q
Context-depending forgetting
A
- This can occur when the environment during recall is different from the environment you were in when you were learning the information
8
Q
Context-dependent forgetting- Godden and Baddely (1975)
A
- They investigated the effect of environment on recall
- They investigated this on 18 divers, who were asked to learn lists of 36 unrelated words
- There were 4 conditions. One learn words on beach and recalled in water, one learnt on beach and recalled on beach, one learnt in water and recalled on beach, and one learnt in water and recalled in water
- They found that accurate recall was 40% lower in the non-matching conditions. This showed that the context acted as a cue to recall as the participants recalled more words when learning and recalling in same environment
9
Q
Evaluation of context-dependent forgetting
A
- This research support had limited ecological validity as the environment is not common everyday. As well as this, the participants that had to move may have been disrupted and in turn lost attention to their lists. The stimuli was also artificial, therefore performance might not reflect the way they would perform on tasks in every day life
- Real life applications could include the use of methods in obtaining accurate eye-witness testimony e.g cognitive interview
10
Q
State-dependent forgetting
A
- This occurs when your mood or physiological state during recall is different from the mood you were in when you were learning
11
Q
State-dependent forgetting: Goodwin et al (1969)
A
- He studied 48 medical students that participated on day 1 training session and on day 2 in a testing. They were assigned randomly to 4 groups
- One was sober both days, one intoxicated both days etc
- They found that more errors were made on day 2 in the groups in different states than when they learnt the information
- This supports the state-dependent memory as the performance was best in the participants who were sober or intoxicated on both days
