interference Flashcards
What does interference theory suggest about forgetting?
Interference theory suggests that forgetting occurs because memories interfere with each other, causing one memory to disrupt the recall of another.
What are the two types of interference?
Proactive interference and retroactive interference.
What is proactive interference?
When old information interferes with the ability to recall new information.
Give an example of proactive interference.
Having difficulty remembering a new phone number because an old one interferes with it.
What is a way to remember proactive interference?
‘P’ for Past – old memories interfere with new ones.
What is retroactive interference?
When new information disrupts the recall of previously learned information.
Give an example of retroactive interference.
Learning a new language makes it harder to remember words in your native language.
What is a way to remember retroactive interference?
‘R’ for Recent – new memories interfere with old ones.
How does interference theory differ from decay theory?
Interference suggests forgetting occurs due to memory competition, while decay suggests memories fade over time due to lack of use.
What research supports interference theory?
McGeoch & McDonald’s (1931) study on word lists.
What did McGeoch & McDonald find?
Recall was worse when participants learned a second list of similar words, showing interference was strongest when memories were similar.
What real-world study supports interference theory?
Baddeley’s (1977) rugby player study.
What did Baddeley’s rugby study find?
Players who played more games (more interference) remembered fewer team names than those who played fewer games.
What does the rugby study suggest about forgetting?
Interference, not just time, affects memory recall in real-life situations.
What is a real-life application of interference theory?
Advertising – exposure to competing ads reduces memory recall of a brand.
How can advertisers use interference theory to improve memory recall?
They should expose consumers to multiple ads in a single day instead of spreading them out over a week.
What is a limitation of interference theory?
Most research is conducted in labs using word lists, which lack ecological validity.
Why do lab studies weaken interference theory?
They involve artificial memory tasks that may not reflect real-life memory use.
Why might interference theory not explain everyday forgetting?
The special conditions required (e.g., similar memories) rarely occur in daily life.
Why does interference require specific conditions?
Forgetting occurs mainly when memories are similar, which isn’t common in real-world memory tasks.
