Forgetting

Question 1

How are memories lost from the short term memory store?

Answer 1

decay or displacement due to limited duration and capacity

Question 2

How are memories lost from the long term memory?

Answer 2

interference or retrieval failure

Question 3

What is interference?

Answer 3

when two memories compete and one prevents the recall of the other

Question 4

What are the two types of interference?

Answer 4

retroactive and proactive

Question 5

What is proactive interference?

Answer 5

When previously learned information prevents the recall of more recently learned information

Question 6

What is retroactive interference?

Answer 6

When recently learned information prevents the recall of previously learned information

Question 7

A03 (Artificiality)

Answer 7

• research is mostly laboratory based and involves memorising syllables or words
• this isn’t typically how we use memory therefore the research can be criticised in terms of mundane realism and has low ecological validity
• however memorising words can be applied to some real life situations eg. shopping lists or lines for a play

Question 8

A03 (A limited explanation)

Answer 8

• only explains why forgetting occurs when two similar memories are competing
• doesn’t explain how
• this type of forgetting doesn’t happen very often

Question 9

What did Anderson (2000) say about interference theory?

Answer 9

-interference definitely plays a role in forgetting but it is clear how much forgetting can be attributed to interference

Question 10

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 10

When information is available but cannot be accessed due to a lack of cues

Question 11

What is the encoding specificity principle?

Answer 11

• memories are encoded with links to information available at the time
• this information can act as a prompt to aid recall
• a poor match between information present at the time of encoding and information present at the time of retrieval can lead to forgetting

Question 12

What are external cues?

Answer 12

• contextual
• explicit-linked to learning material
• environmental-eg.location that the information was learned

Question 13

What are internal cues?

Answer 13

• state
• physical
• psychological

Question 14

A03-Tulving and Pearlstone (1966)

Answer 14

• laboratory study
• 48 words in 12 categories
• one condition, participants were given category titles eg. fruit
• participants given cued heading recalled more words
• power of retrieval cues

Question 15

A03-Abernathy

Answer 15

• field study
• students did better on an exam when tested by a familiar teacher in a familiar surroundings
• importance of context