Explanations for forgetting: interference Flashcards
What is interference?
An explanation for forgetting in terms of one memory disrupting the ability to recall another
When is interference most likely to occur?
When the two memories have some similarity
What is retroactive interference?
Current attempts to learn something interfere with past learning
Who was the first to identify retroactive interference?
Müller and his student Pilzecker
How did Müller and Pilzecker test retroactive interference?
Gave participants a list of nonsense syllables to learn in 6 mins, then after a retention task asked to recall the list. Performance was less good if participants had been given an intervening task between initial learning and recall (asked to describe pictures) - the intervening task produced RI because the later task (pictures) interfered with what had previously been learned
What is proactive interference?
Past learning interferes with current attempts to learn something
Who showed the significance of proactive interference?
Underwood (1957)
How did Underwood study proactive interference?
Analysed findings from a number of studies - found when participants had to learn a series of words, they could remember the words earlier on better than the ones later on in the list
What were Underwoods overall findings?
If participants memorised 10 or more lists, after 24 hours they remembered 20% - if they only learned one list recall was 70%
Who experimented with the effects of similarity of materials?
McGeoch & McDonald
What did McGeoch and McDonald find during their study?
Interference is strongest the more similar the items are, only interference rather than decay can explain such affects
(gave participants 10 adjectives - List A - after 10 mins gave List B, either synonym or nonsense syllables - if list B was synonyms recall was poor (12%) if list B was nonsense less effect (37%))
Why can research be argued to be artificial?
research often uses artificial lists of words/nonsense syllables - thus findings may not relate to everyday uses of memory
additionally participants may lack motivation to remember links in studies making interference effects appear stronger
This means research is LOW in ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY
Why might interference only explain some situations of forgetting?
Special conditions are required for interference to lead to forgetting - two memories must be quite similar - makes interference a relatively unimportant explanation for everyday forgetting
Anderson - how much forgetting can be attributed to interference remains unclear
What did Kane and Engle demonstrate?
Individuals with a greater working memory span were less susceptible to proactive interference - tested this with word lists. Highlights individual differences and the role they play in how people are affected by interference
