Explanations for forgetting Flashcards
Interference: Proactive and Retroactive Retrieval failure due to absence of cues
What is interference?
Forgetting because one memory blocks another, causing one or both memories to be distorted or forgotten
What is proactive interference?
Forgetting occurs when older memories, already stored, disrupt the recall of newer memories.
What is retroactive interference?
Forgetting occurs when newer memories disrupt the recall of older memories already sorted. The degree of forgetting is again greater when the memories are similar.
What does research say about similarity in interference?
Interference is stronger when memories are similar – both for retroactive and proactive interference.
Who studied retroactive interference using word lists?
McGeoch & McDonald (1931).
What was McGeoch & McDonald’s method?
Participants learned a word list perfectly, then learned a second list. The similarity of the second list varied across 6 groups.
What were the 6 conditions in McGeoch & McDonald’s study?
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Unrelated words
- Nonsense syllables
- 3-digit numbers
- No second list (control group)
What did McGeoch & McDonald find?
The more similar the second list was to the first, the worse the recall.
Synonyms caused the most interference, showing retroactive interference is strongest with similar material.
What are the strengths of Mcgeoch and Mcdonald’s findings?
Strong lab evidence (e.g. McGeoch & McDonald): shows cause and effect and uses control.
Real-world application: Explains why revision of similar subjects (e.g. French and Spanish) can cause forgetting.
What are the weaknesses of Mcgeoch and Mcdonald’s findings?
Low ecological validity: Most studies use word lists, which may not reflect real-life memory use.
Interference may not be the only cause of forgetting – other factors like retrieval failure or lack of cues can also explain it.
Effects are temporary: With cues or time, people can often recall the “forgotten” info, suggesting interference doesn’t always cause permanent loss.
What type of interference did Underwood & Postman study?
Retroactive interference – when new information interferes with old memories.
What was the method in Underwood & Postman’s study?
Participants learned a list of word pairs (e.g. cat–tree).
Group 1 learned two lists (e.g. cat–tree, then cat–glass).
Group 2 learned only the first list.
Both were then tested on the first list.
What did Underwood & Postman find?
Group 1 recalled fewer words from the first list.
This supports retroactive interference — new learning interfered with old memories.
What did Baddeley & Hitch (1977) study?
They investigated proactive interference in rugby players recalling teams they played.
What was the method of Baddeley & Hitch’s study?
Players recalled teams played over a season.
Some played more matches than others (due to injury, etc.).
What did Baddeley & Hitch find?
Players who played more matches forgot more team names, showing older memories interfered with newer ones — evidence for proactive interference.
What is retrieval failure in memory?
Retrieval failure occurs when we can’t access a memory because cues are missing. The memory is stored but not retrievable without the right cue.
What is a cue in memory?
A cue is a trigger (internal or external) that helps access a memory. It can be contextual (environment) or state-dependent (internal state).
What does the encoding specificity principle (ESP) state?
Tulving (1983) said memory is best recalled when the cue present at recall matches the cue present at encoding.
What are two types of retrieval failure?
Context curs which are environmental cues.
State cues which are internal to the person.
What research supports context-dependent forgetting?
Godden & Baddeley (1975): deep-sea divers recalled more words when learning and recall were in the same environment (land or underwater).
What research supports state-dependent forgetting?
Carter & Cassaday (1998): participants who learned and recalled information in the same drug state (on or off antihistamines) remembered more
What is a strength of retrieval failure theory?
Supported by real-world application — e.g. revising in the exam room or mentally reinstating the context helps recall (useful in education and eyewitness testimony).
What is a limitation of context effects in retrieval failure?
Context effects are often weak in real life — environments must be very different to have a big impact (Godden & Baddeley’s deep-sea diving study may not reflect everyday forgetting).
What is a limitation of Tulvings encoding Specificity Principle?
There’s no way to prove or disprove whether a cue was really encoded or not — it’s based on assumption.
