Forgetting Flashcards
4 reasons for forgetting in short-term memory?
- Trace decay
- Displacement
- Diversion of attention
- Brain damage
Trace decay-STM
A brief memory trace is left by the excitation of nerve cells. Fragile and likely to be lost. Repeated neural activity can allow for a permanent structural change+for the memory to be passed on to the LTM where decay is unlikely.
Displacement
As more items are introduced to STM, some items ‘drop out’ as there is not enough space. They are displaced by others. The Brown-Peterson technique provides evidence for this.
The Brown-Peterson technique
The last few words in a list were displaced from STM by a distraction counting task.
Diversion of attention
If attention is not focused on the info to be retained + is diverted to something else it is more likely to be forgotten
7 reasons for forgetting in long-term memory?
- Trace decay
- Retroactive interference
- Proactive interference
- Cue-dependent forgetting
- Context-dependent forgetting
- State-dependent forgetting
- Brain damage
Trace decay-LTM
Lack of use can cause decay of LTM.
Retroactive interference
When new information interferes with the ability to recall old information.
Proactive interference
When old information interferes with the recall of new information
Cue-dependent forgetting
Refers to 2 related phenomena:
- Context-dependent forgetting
- State-dependent forgetting
Context-dependent forgetting
- It is easier to remember information when required to do so in the same environmental context as it was first learned.
- Retrieval cues act as a trigger for the original memory.
State-dependent forgetting
It is easier to remember information when you are in the same physical + emotional state as you were when you first learned it.
Brain damage-LTM
Any change/damage to the brain which may be the result of a closed head injury e.g. stroke may suffer from retrograde amnesia
Other conditions can cause anterograde amnesia
Retrograde amnesia
A loss of memory for any events which occurred prior to injury/treatment
Anterograde amnesia
The loss of memory for new information.
