lesson 6: explanations of forgetting Flashcards
why do we forget information in the LTM
forgetting due to availability or accessibility
proactive interference
EXPLANATIONS OF FORGETTING
earlier learning interferences with what you are learning in the present
eg if you learnt Spanish and now harder to learn French
old memory effects new
retroactive interference
EXPLANATIONS OF FORGETTING
more recent learning interferes with recall of earlier material
new memory effects with old
Underwood & Postman, 1960
SUPPORTIVE RESEARCH, EXPLANATIONS OF FORGETTING
aim, find if new learning interferes with previous learning
Pp % in 2, A learn a list of word pairs eg cat-tree, then a second word pair list where second word was difference eg cat-glass
group B only learn first list
both groups recall first list
group B recall= more accurate
shows retroactive interference, new words meant earlier words forgotten
Baddeley and Hitch, 1977
SUPPORTIVE RESEARCH, EXPLANATIONS OF FORGETTING
rugby players recall names of teams recently played
injuries and suspension meant players missed games
showed probability of correct recall wasn’t dependent on time as decay theory suggests, but on the number of interfering games
SUPPORTIVE RESEARCH
EVALUATION,EXPLANATIONS OF FOGETTING
- ecological validity
conditions not similar to every day life
+could be a strength
other factors, distractions can be removed
Retrieval failure due to absence of cues
EXPLANATION, EXPLANATIONS OF FORGETTING
forgetting in the LTM as a retrieval failure, stored but can’t be accessed
Retrieval failure due to absence of cue
when we learn we encode the context, mental state and external cues
Retrieval failure due to absence,
TYPE OF CLUES
2 types of clues:
linked to meaningful information
not meaningflly linked to information remembered
Godden and Baddeley, 1975
SUPORTIVE EVIDENCE, CONTEXT DEPENDENT FORGETTING
aim, effect of environment on recll
scotland
18 divers learn list of 36 unrelated words of 2/3 syllabels, 4 conditions:
learn on beach, recall on beach
learn on beach, recall under water
learn underwater, recall on beach
learn underwater recall underwater
Pp= better recalling lists tested in the same environment they learnt it
Context-dependent forgetting definition
occur when environment durring recall is different from where you learnt it
Godden and Baddeley, 1975
SUPORTIVE EVIDENCE, CONTEXT DEPENDENT FORGETTING
EVALUATION
- control variables
not a controlled environment
may effect findings
+ecological validity
performed in a natural environment
- doesn’t take into account meaning of material
Pp may be able to link, have more meaning ith some words
State-dependent forgetting definition
forgetting when your mood or physiological state during recall is different from mood you were in when learning
Goodwin et al, 1969
EVIDENCE FOR STATE-DEPENDENT LEARNING
48 male medical students
day 1=training day 2= testing, 4 groups:
1, SS sober both days
2, AA intoxicated both days
3, AS intoxicated day 1 sober day 2
4, SA sober day 1 intoxicated on 2
intoxicated= 111mg/100 ml alcohol in blood, showed signs, performed 4 tests:
avoidance task, verbal rote-learning task, word association, picture recognition
more error in SA and AS group (they were in different physiology states), except from picture recognition task, SS did the best
Goodwin et al, 1969
EVIDENCE FOR STATE-DEPENDENT LEARNING
EVALUATION
- demand characteristics
may realise the aim
effect results - ethics
intoxicated
not ethical - ecological validity
lab based, on men
not good, can’t be generalised
Overton, 1964
EVIDENCE FOR STATE-DEPENDENT LEARNING
2 groups of rats
1= mild sedative causing drowsiness
simple maze, taught to escape, electric shock
drugged rats without drug couldn’t remember how but when given drugs again could
when in the same physiological state performance= better
