Forgetting

Question 1

Ebbinghaus

Answer 1

Created the forgetting curve

Learned loads of non-sense syllables and tested himself with relative relearning time trials (savings)

Until immidiate recall = 100%, curve
- 20 min = 58%
- 1 hr = 44%
- 9 hrs = 36%
- 1 day 33%

E. Did find time of the day effect (13% better in the morning), Heller did not. Were however very similar curves.

Question 2

Sleep effect

Answer 2

After 1 day there’s a bump in retrieval, has to do with sleep

Question 3

Serial position

Answer 3

Effect of position of syllable had large effect;

recency effect (and little priming effect)

Question 4

Function of forgetting

Answer 4

Q(t) = (1+u1t) -a (savings as a function of time)

Power function so gives straight line when plotted in log-log

Question 5

Permastore

Answer 5

The platau of forgetting, Bahrick showed forgetting continues until about 3 to 12 years (depending on material), than halts. He called remaining memories permastore

Question 6

Proactive interference

Answer 6

Recall becomes worse with three word Brown-Peterson paradigm.

The previous trials start interfering with the new ones, so recall worsens

Same with ‘head start’. Cueing someone with some words of a list messes up the retrieval process and worsens performance.

Question 7

Release of interference

Answer 7

Unexpected stimuli. Eg if the three words were within one category and you suddenly change to another, the interference is released

Question 8

Fan effect

Answer 8

The more you know, the more you forget.

Associative interference. = when there are more related items linked to a single cue, it takes longer to retrieve any one of them.

Question 9

Interference theory

Answer 9

Idea that memory gets worse if two memories interfere. Seen in
- Part-set cueing (helping with a set)
- Fan effect
- Proactive interference