Interference (forgetting)

Question 1

interference

Answer 1

when memories are difficult to retrieve because we mix them up with other memories

Question 2

proactive interference

Answer 2

when material learnt first interferes with material learnt later
(difficult to remember new memories)

Question 3

retroactive interference

Answer 3

when material learnt later interferes with material learnt earlier
(difficult to remember old memories)

Question 4

method of Baddeley & Hitch’s rugby study

Answer 4

• studied rugby players who had played every match in a season compared to players who had missed some games
• players were asked to recall the names of the teams they had played against earlier in the season

Question 5

findings of Baddeley & Hitch’s rugby study

Answer 5

• players who had played more games forgot the names of the teams they played proportionately more than those who had played fewer games
• this supports the idea of retroactive interference; the new team names interfered with earlier team names

Question 6

evaluation of Baddeley & Hitch’s rugby study

Answer 6

• a real life study, so it has high ecological validity
• was not conducted in a lab, reducing general validity