Lesson 8: Forgetting Inference Flashcards
Define the term forgetting
refers to a persons’ LOSS of ability to RECALL or RECOGNISE something that they have previously learnt
What does the interference theory claim?
forgetting occurs when two lots of information become CONFUSED in memory
When is interference MOST likely to occur
When two lots of information are SIMILAR to one another
When is interference LESS likely to occur
When there is a GAP between the INSTANCES of learning
What is RETROactive interference
when NEW learning affects the recall of OLD information
What is PROactive interference
(PORN)
when OLD learning affects the recall of new information
State a POSITIVE evaluation of Interfernce theory
(Hint: proactive interference + consonant trigrams)
+ Keppel and Underwood (1962) investigated PROACTIVE (old->new) interference.
Participants were presented with MEANINGLESS three-letter CONSONANT trigrams
(for example, THG) at different intervals (3, 6, 9, seconds etc.).
To prevent REHEARSAL the participants= count backwards in threes before recall.
The participants typically remembered the trigrams that were presented FIRST.
Keppel and Underwood concluded that the memory for earlier trigrams was interfering with the memory for later trigrams
State a POSITIVE evaluation of interference theory
(Hint: list of synonyms)
+ McGeoch and McDonald (1931) demonstrated RETROACTIVE interference (new->old)
They gave participants lists of words that they had to learn UNTIL they could recall them with 100% ACCURACY.
Participants then learned a new list. This new list was SYNONYMS or ANTONYMS of the words on the original list.
Participants were then asked to remember the original list. Participants given the list of synonyms=WORST recall of the original list.
Learning a second list of words that have SIMILAR meanings to the first list of words would cause RETROACTIVE interference.
State a POSITIVE evaluation of interference theory
(Hint: Practical applications)
+ This theory has practical applications.
Students should be made aware of this theory so that they do not attempt to revise SIMILAR content/subjects at the same time, as this will make interference more likely to occur.
State a NEGATIVE evaluation of interference theory
(Hint: temporary+ still in LTM)
- When interference occurs the loss of information may only be TEMPORARY,
therefore interference is not a TRUE explanation for forgetting because the
information is not actually over-written and is still in Long-Term Memory
(LTM)
State a NEGATIVE evaluation of interference theory
(Hint: retrieval failure)
- Some psychologists argue that retrieval failure is a much better explanation
of FORGETTING in EVERYDAY life than interference.
This theory states that we forget when there are not enough RETRIEVAL CUES to help us remember.
Godden and Baddeley (1975) got divers to learn and recall word lists on either dry land or underwater.
Results showed that words learnt and recalled in the same CONTEXT were better remembered as there were retrieval cues in the ENVIRONMENT to help them remember the words.
