Explanations of forgetting - Interference Theory Flashcards
What does the interference theory suggest?
That forgetting is influenced more by what we do before or after the learning than by the passage of time.
What is retroactive interference?
New information interfering with the old.
When does retroactive interference take place?
When newly acquired information inhibits out ability to recall previously acquired similar information.
With the example of creating a new password, would happens of retroactive interference takes place?
You will forget your old password.
With the example of learning a new phone number for yourself, what will happen if retroactive interference takes place?
You can’t remember you old phone number.
What is proactive interference?
Older information interfering with the new.
Which type of interference is most common?
Proactive.
What is proactive interference create the tendency for?
Previously acquired material to hinder recall of subsequent/current similar information.
With the example of having a boyfriend/girlfriend, what are you likely to do when proactive interference takes place?
Call them by an ex’s name.
With the example of creating a new password, what is likely to happen if proactive interference takes place?
You will ender you old one rather than you current one.
How in interference usually studied within a lab?
With paired-associate word lists.
Who did a key study that supports interference as an explanation for forgetting?
McGeoch and McDonald 1931.
What are the 2 steps that took place in McGeoch and McDonald’s 1931 study?
1 - Ask ppts to leand adjectives from list A (from A and B) until they can recall them perfectly.
2 - Ask one third of ppts to rest for 10 mins quietly before recalling list.
One third to leant 10 3 digit numbers for 10 mins then ask to recall.
One third to learn list B for 10 mins then recall list A.
What were the findings of McGeoch and McDonald’s interference study?
The first third = 4.51 adj.
The Second third = 3.68 adj.
The Third third = 1.25 adj.
Does McGeoch and McDonald’s study demonstrate proactive or retroactive interference?
Retroactive interference.
What are the two evaluation points about the interference theory?
1 - Artificial research.
2 - Real word application - Advertisement.
Artificial research paragraph.
Although there have been many experimental demonstrations of interference, most of these have used nonsense syllables. Interference has been less easy to demonstrate when meaningful material is used. It many be that when meaningless material is used for the test items these must be sorted in episodic memory (as opposed to semantic memory). If this is the case then most lab studies of RI and PI will involve episodic memory only. It is likely that semantic memory, being more stable and structured than episodic memory, would be less susceptible to interference. Baddeley (1976) points out the lab experiments, potentially interfering material is rather artificially compressed in time (thus increasing the probability of interference). In life, in contrast the learning of potentially interfering material is spaced out over time so that interference is greatly reduced (and consequently difficult to demonstrate outside the lab).
Real word application: advertising. Paragraph.
Danaher et al, 2008, found the recall of adverts were impaired when people saw completing brands adverts over s short people of time. The advert messages were affected by interference.
