Forgetting

Question 1

Interference

Answer 1

When forgetting occurs because one memory interferes or blocks another r

Question 2

Pro-active interference

Answer 2

Where older memories interfere with an attempt to remember newer memories

Question 3

Retro-active interference

Answer 3

Where newer memories interfere with an attempt to remember older memories

Question 4

Interference limit

Answer 4

Inference effects may be overcome using cues

Tulving and Psotka (1971) gave participants five lists of 24 words to learn, organised into 6 categories; it was assumed the categories would be obvious when presented

Found that recall was 70% for the first word list, but this fell as participants were given additional lists to learn, presumably due to interference. However, when given a cued recall test, recall rose again to 70%

This suggests that the words were stored in LTM but interference had prevented access to them. When given a cue, it was easier to access the forgotten words

Question 5

Encoding specificity principle

Answer 5

Tulving 1973 - we are most likely to remember something when cues are similar to those cues which were present when we first learnt the information

If the cues available when we learnt info are different or absent at the time of retrieval then some information will be forgotten

Question 6

Context-dependent forgetting

Answer 6

Occurs when there is an absence of external clues (e,g, environment we’re in) which were present at the time of learning and are not present when we try to remember

Question 7

State-dependent forgetting

Answer 7

Occurs when there is an absence of internal cues (mood, emotions or physical state) that were present at the time of learning and are not present when we try to remember