Explanations for forgetting

Question 1

Outline what is meant by inference

Answer 1

The type of forgetting caused by one memory disrupting another

Question 2

Describe what is meant by retroactive interference?

Answer 2

Where new information learnt interferes with the ability to recall old information

Question 3

Give an example of retroactive interference

Answer 3

mum asks for old phone number, can only remember new one

Question 4

Describe what is meant by proactive interference?

Answer 4

Where old memories of info interfere with the ability to learn new information

Question 5

Give an example of proactive interference

Answer 5

can only remember old address after moving house

Question 6

Describe the Mcgeoch and Mcdonald case study

Answer 6

-studied retroactive interference
-ppt learned list of words
-ppt given a 2nd list of either words or numbers to learn
-ppt asked to recall first list
-the more similar the second list to the first the worse the recall of the first

Question 7

What does the Mcgeoch and Mcdonald case study show?

Answer 7

That similarity increases the effects of retroactive interference

Question 8

What’s a strength and a limitation of the Mcgeoch and Mcdonald case study

Answer 8

A- supports theory, new list interfering recall of old list
D- Low external validity, the time gap between learning and recall in the study is very short, so there’s an exaduration of the effects of interference

Question 9

Describe the procedure and findings of Baddeley and Hitches study

Answer 9

-asked rugby players to recall all matches in season (inc team names and scores)
-players had better memory of the teams if they had played less games
-but how long ago the matches were wasn’t important

findings
-Shows interference is due to similarity rather than time

Question 10

What are 2 strengths of Baddeley and Hitches study?

Answer 10

-Supports interference, shows similarity increases interference as more games planed inc interference
-natural study, high external validity shows interference occurs in real life

Question 11

Describe the Procedure and Findings of Burke and Skrull’s study

Answer 11

-gave ppt magazines ads to recall from memory
-the more similar the products were, the worse the recall

Question 12

What’s 2 strengths of Burke and Skrull’s study?

Answer 12

In real-life applications, advertisers know not to place similar products near each other or people may forget
-Uses real-life material so high external validity

Question 13

How does research into the effects of interference have useful real-life applications?

Answer 13

in advertising, we know not to place similar adverts close together as people more likely to forget the products

when revising choose different topic areas rather than revising similar theories close together

Question 14

what is a limitation of interference theory

Answer 14

time between learning

Question 15

how is time between learning a disadvantage of the interference theory?

Answer 15

time between learning- most studies have a short time between learning the two sets of materials so it exaggerates the effects of interference

Question 16

How does using cues effect levels of inteference?

Answer 16

Tulving and Psotka showed that the effect of cues reduces interference

Question 17

What 3 things effect interference?

Answer 17

-similarity
-time between learning
-use of cues

Question 18

How do all 3 studies support interference theory?

Answer 18

They all prove similarity increases inteference

Question 19

Describe the case study of Marvin

Answer 19

-Marvin takes french and Spanish and he mixes up the word ‘chair’ as they are similar languages- shows similarity inc interference

Question 20

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 20

The reason for forgetting in LTM

It occurs when the material to be recalled is available but it isn’t accessible because of a lack of a suitable cue

Question 21

What is meant by context-dependent forgetting?

Answer 21

forgetting information because you’re in a different place to when you learned the information

Question 22

What is meant by state-dependent forgetting?

Answer 22

forgetting information as you’re in a different internal state to when you learned the information

Question 23

What is meant by the encoding specificity principle?

Answer 23

Tulving
This states that a cue that helps us recall information has to be present at encoding (learning) and at retrieval. If not forgetting can occur

Question 24

describe the procedure of Godden and Baddeley’s study

Answer 24

Studied- context depending forgetting
Divers learned and recalled a list of words in 4 conditions
1-learned on land recalled in water
2-learned on land recalled on land
3-learned in water recalled on land
4-learned in water recalled in water

Question 25

describe the findings of Godden and Baddeley's study

Answer 25

-ppt recalled best if they learned and recalled in the same context/place which shows context acts as a cue for recall

Question 26

Give a strength of Godden and Baddeleys study

Answer 26

it supports retrieval failure as it shows context/place acts as a cue for recall

Question 27

What are 2 limitations of Godden and Baddeleys study

Answer 27

-low external validity, don't often learn word lists underwater -exaggerated effects of retrieval failure, being on land and in water are 2 very different contexts from each other.

Question 28

describe the procedure of Goodwin et al 1969 study

Answer 28

he tested for state-dependent forgetting -asked PPT to learn and recall a variety of tasks (word association) in diff states; 1-learn sober, recall sober 2-learn sober, recall drunk 3-learn drunk, recall sober 4-learn drunk, recall drunk

Question 29

describe the findings of Goodwin et als study and explain why

Answer 29

groups 1 and 4 performed best because their internal state is the same at learning and recall

Question 30

what does goodwins study tell us about state-dependent forgetting?

Answer 30

that internal state ascts as a cue for recall so if the state is different at learning and recall this leads to retrieval failure

Question 31

give a strength of Goodwins study

Answer 31

he was backed up by other researchers -one found that chewing gum in a lesson and chewing the same flavor gum in an exam on that info acted as a cue

Question 32

give a limitation of Goodwins study

Answer 32

low mundane realism as the tasks do not reflect things we forget in every day life

Question 33

what 2 types of cues are there?

Answer 33

context-dependent cues state-dependent cues

Question 34

What are context-dependent cues?

Answer 34

Relate to the place we are in when we encode new memory. being in this place when recalling the memory will act as a cue

Question 35

What are state-dependent cues?

Answer 35

relate to how learners feel when they encode new memories. Being in this state when trying to recall the memory will act as a cue

Question 36

How do the findings of either of these studies support the effects of state-dependent forgetting memory?

Answer 36

Goodwin- having the same internal state when learning acts as a cue for recall Godden- recalling in the same place/context as info is learnt acts as a cue for recall

Question 37

what are 2 strengths of retrieval failure?

Answer 37

-lots of studies to support (Godden and goodwin) -lots of real-life examples of cues aiding memory

Question 38

How does research into the effects of retrieval failure have useful real life applications?

Answer 38

Abernathy- found students do better in exams if they do them in the same room where they learned the info Smith- found thinking about the room you learned it is just as effective

Question 39

What are 2 limitations of retrieval failure?

Answer 39

-retrieval cues don't always work -circular explanation of encoding specificity principle

Question 40

Why don't retrieval cues always work?

Answer 40

relying on things like state or context as a retrieval cue isn't always effective as many things we learn and complicated and multi-faced (more than 1 layer to it) so cues are rarely effective when helping us to remember them

Question 41

Why is the encoding specifically principle difficult to test?

Answer 41

because Baddeley argued that a lack of cues may not be the reason that forgetting has occurred so we cannot be sure