Explanations Of Forgetting - Inteference

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

Idea that something els e gets in the way and interrupts memory
Interference- we forget when a similar memory interrupts anther one - harder to recall but doesn’t mean memory is decayed

Question 2

Retroactive interference

Answer 2

Muller - current learning interferes with past learning
Gave a list of nonsense syllables to learn for 6mins, after retention retrieval, participants asked to recall list
Performed less good if participants had been giving intervening task (look at paintings) between learning and recall
Later task had interfered with with what had previously been learnt

Question 3

Proactive interference

Answer 3

Underwood - past learning interferes with current attempts of learning
Participants who had to learn 10 or more lists and after 24h could only remember 20%, those who learnt 1 could remember 70%

Question 4

Similarities of test materials

Answer 4

McDonald - looked at retroactive interference
Share similar worlds (synonyms) then after 10mins learnt not similar words
If list B was synonyms of list A, recall was 12%, if list B was nonsense syllables, recall was 26%
Shows interference is stronger when items are similar because of interference not decay of memory

Question 5

Real world study

Answer 5

Braddley and hitch - investigated interference happens in everyday life
Playing 20 matches but ant remember all as memory is similar therefore get confused and blurred
If played 20 different sports - easier to remember each one as memories are different

Question 6

A03 - limitation - research is artificial

Answer 6

P - mos research is lab-based and often use artificial list of words
E - findings a not relate to everyday life and use of memory doesn’t involve lists. Also people may lack motivation to remember lists so interference will seem stronger
E - research has low ecological validity

Question 7

Ao3 - limitation interference only explains some situations of forgetting

Answer 7

P - interference doesn’t occur that often
E - two memories need to be quite similar - for this reason interference is considered to be unimportant explanation of everyday forgetting. Not all similar memories are forgetting
E - how much forgetting can be attributed to interference remains unclear

Question 8

Ao3 - limitation - accessibility vs availability

Answer 8

P - researchers often question whether interference effects actually cause memory to disappear of whether it’s just temporary
E - if memory was tested again after 24h, recognition (accessibility) showed spontaneous recovery, whereas recall (availability) remain the same
E - suggests the interference occurs because memories are temporarily not accessible rather then having actually been lost (unavailable)