Explanations of Forgetting

Question 1

What are the 2 explanations of forgetting?

Answer 1

Interference
Retrieval failure do to absence of cues

Question 2

What is forgetting?

Answer 2

The inability to access or recover information that has previously been stored in memory

Question 3

What is interference?

Answer 3

When 2 similar memories conflict with each other, causing the forgetting of one or both memories

Question 4

What is proactive interference?

Answer 4

When an old memory disrupts the recall of a new memory

Question 5

What is retroactive interference?

Answer 5

When a new memory disrupts the recall of an old memory

Question 6

What are the strengths of interference as an explanation of forgetting?

Answer 6

McGeoch & McDonal (1931) - lab study
Baddeley & Hitch (1977) - realistic study (rugby)

Question 7

What was McGeoch and McDonald’s experiment (1931)?

Answer 7

6 groups of participants learn a list
5 of 6 groups learn a new list varying in similarity to the original list
Mean number of words recalled was higher for lists that were the least similar

Question 8

What was Baddeley & Hitch’s study (1977)?

Answer 8

Participants were rugby union players
Some players who were injured missed matches
Players asked to name all teams they played against in the season
Rugby players who played every match forgot proportionally more games than those who played less.

(Retroactive interference as new team names interfered with the old ones)

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of interference as an explanation for forgetting?

Answer 9

Lab studies lack ecological validity
Realistic studies may be affected by extraneous variables
Role of interference may be exaggerated (time period)
Interference can be overcome by cues

Question 10

How do lab studies on interference lack ecological validity?

Answer 10

They use unrealistic material to remember (lists) meaning the findings may not be applicable to everyday life

Question 11

Why might realistic research studies not be applicable to interference?

Answer 11

Extraneous variables may have caused the different rugby players to remember different things - the rugby players who remember the names may have talked about the different teams recently

Question 12

How might the role of interference be exaggerated?

Answer 12

Time period between learning material is much shorter than what it would be in real life - may not be applicable

Question 13

How might the effects of interference be overcome by cues?

Answer 13

Tulving & Pstoka (1971) did a study:
Gave participants 5 lists of 24 words in categories
Recall was 70% for the first list and decreased as lists went on (interference of lists)
When cues given, recall accuracy went back to 70%

Question 14

What does retrieval failure due to absence of cues suggest about forgetting?

Answer 14

Forgetting is lack of accessibility rather than availability

Question 15

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 15

When information stored in Long Term Memory cannot be retrieved due to a lack of cues

When information is placed in memory, associated cues are stored at the same time - needed to trigger memory

Question 16

What is the Encoding Specificity Principle (ESP)?

Answer 16

Tulving (1983) suggests that cues will help retrieval if the same cues are present at coding AND retrieval

Question 17

What 2 types of cues support ESP?

Answer 17

Cues linked meaningfully to the information
Cues that’s relate to the context in which we learn the information

Question 18

What are the 2 types of contextual cues?

Answer 18

Context-dependent cues (environment)
State-dependent cues (mood/physiological state)

Question 19

What is the research support for the Encoding Specificity Principle?

Answer 19

Tulving & Pearlstone (1966)
Participants had to recall 48 words from 1 of 12 categories
Each word presented with the categories it was in
Cue present = 60% accuracy but 40% without

Question 20

What was Abernethy’s experiment (1940)

Answer 20

Abernethy (1940)

Asked participants to revise for a test
Each participant was in a different group with different combinations of rooms and instructors when learning and taking the test
Participants with the same room and instructor performed better due to the familiar cues

HOWEVER, “ABLE” STUDENTS WERE LESS AFFECTED BY CONTEXT

Question 21

What are the research supports for context-dependent retrieval failure?

Answer 21

Abernethy (1940)
Godden & Baddeley (1975)

Question 22

What was Godden & Baddeley’s experiment (1975)?

Answer 22

18 divers asked to learn a list of words and then recall them
4 condition - beach and/or underwater for recall and learning
Recall was better when the learning and recalling environment was similar

Question 23

What are the weaknesses of context-dependent retrieval failure?

Answer 23

Context may not be a strong factor in real life

Context-dependent retrieval failure depends on the type of memory being tested

Question 24

Why might context not affect retrieval in real life?

Answer 24

Baddeley argued that the context affect will only happen if the contexts are very different which rarely happens in real life

Question 25

How does context-dependent retrieval failure depend on type of memory being tested?

Answer 25

Godden & Baddeley did their experiment again but asked for participants to recognise words instead of recall and found that the performance was the same in all conditions

Context-dependent retrieval failure only applies when recalling information rather than recognising it

Question 26

What is context-dependent retrieval failure?

Answer 26

When we forget information as the environment we learnt information in is different to the environment we recall it in

Question 27

What is state-dependent retrieval failure?

Answer 27

Retrieval failure occurs due to the absence of the same state of mind when learning and recalling

Question 28

What is the research support for state-dependent retrieval failure?

Answer 28

Carter & Cassaday (1998)

Gave participants anti-histamines - feel drowsy
Participants had to learn and then recall a list of words
Participants recalled best when their internal state of mind matched when learning and recalling

Question 29

What are the strength of retrieval failure as an explanation of forgetting?

Answer 29

Wide range of research support

Good real life application

Question 30

What are the research support for retrieval failure?

Answer 30

Tulving & Pearlstone (1996) - ESP
Abernethy (1940) - Context
Godden & Baddeley (1975) - divers - context
Carter & Cassaday (1998 - drugs - state

Question 31

How does retrieval failure have real life applications?

Answer 31

Good ecological validity in Cater & Cassaday’s study + Godden & Baddeley’s study

Context & state principles used in the cognitive interview

Question 32

What are the weaknesses of retrieval failure an an explanation of forgetting?

Answer 32

Some studies lack ecological validity - aren’t just learners in a school learning lists - lack of realism

Difficult to test the ESP

Question 33

Why is it difficult to test the Encoding Specificity Principle?

Answer 33

We don’t know what cues are meaningful to certain people