explanations for forgetting; interference

Question 1

what is interference?

Answer 1

interference has been proposed mainly as an explanation for forgetting in LTM. forgetting because one memory blocks another, causing one or both memories to be distorted.

Question 2

what are the two types of interference?

Answer 2

proactive interference
retroactive interference

Question 3

define proactive interference

Answer 3

forgetting occurs when older memories, disrupt the recall of newer memories.

Question 4

define retroactive interference

Answer 4

forgetting occurs when newer memories disrupt the recall of older memories already stored.

Question 5

evaluation strength

a real word study

Answer 5

baddeley and hitch 1977 investigated interference effects in an everyday setting of rugby players recalling the names of the teams they had played against over a rugby season. some players played in all of the games in the season whereas others missed some games because of injury.

baddeley and hitch found that those who played most games forgot proportionally more because of interference, demonstrating the effect of interference in everyday life.

Question 6

weakness

evaluation point

Answer 6

the role of interference in explaining forgetting, particularly in relation to individual differences, is a multifaceted area of study.

Question 7

evaluation evidence + evaluation

Answer 7

Kane and Engle’s (2000) research sheds light on how variations in working memory span can impact susceptibility to proactive interference.

their findings suggest that individuals with higher WM spans possess greater cognitive resources to counteract the effects of interference, thus demonstrating the significance of individual differences in memory processes.

Question 8

evaluation extra evidence

Answer 8

critics argue that interference effects may be limited to specific circumstances where memories are highly similar, rendering it a less prevalent factor in everyday forgetting scenarios.

Anderson (2000) underscores this point, emphasising the need for complementary theories to provide a comprehensive understanding of forgetting phenomena.

Question 9

evaluation

Answer 9

while interference offers valuable insights into memory mechanisms, its scope in explaining everyday forgetting remains a subject of ongoing investigation, prompting researchers to explore additional avenues for a holistic comprehension of memory processes.