Memory - 04 Explanations for forgetting

Question 1

What are 2 types of forgetting?

Answer 1

1)interference
2)retrieval failure

Question 2

what is interference?

Answer 2

happened when one memory disrupts the ability to remember another

Question 3

What are the two types of interference?

Answer 3

1)proactive interference
2)retroactive interference

Question 4

What is proactive interference?

Answer 4

-forwards
-proactive interference occurs when an older memory interferes with a newer memory

Question 5

What is retroactive interference?

Answer 5

-backwards
-retroactive interference occurs when a new memory prevents the recall of an older memory

Question 6

When is interference most likely to occur?

Answer 6

when memories are similar for example phone numbers

Question 7

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 7

-occurs when a memory is available but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided

Question 8

What is a cue?

Answer 8

a trigger or information that allows us to access a memory

Question 9

If a cue is to help us remember information when does it need to be present?

Answer 9

at coding (when we learn it) and at retrieval (when we are recalling it)

Question 10

Research support for proactive interference (Keppel and Underwood)

Answer 10

-p’s recall trigrams after intervals where they counted backwards in threes
-forgetting increased after each interval, little forgetting occurred at start
-earlier trigrams entered LTM and interfered with formation of new memories

Question 11

Research support for retroactive interference (Muller)

Answer 11

-p’s learning list of syllables, given intervening task between exposure and recall
-intervening task produced retroactive interference, p’s struggled to recall lists

Question 12

Weakness of interference theory (lab setting)

Answer 12

-lacks ecological validity and also mundane realism as tasks are rarely indicative of what people would experience in real life
-makes it difficult to generalise to real life or understand how much day-to-day forgetting can be credited to interference or even forgetting in general

Question 13

Weakness of interference theory (individual differences)

Answer 13

-individual differences, some people are less affected by proactive interference compared to others
-Kane et al (2000), people with bigger working memory spans were less susceptible to proactive interference
-highlights how interference theories cannot be fully generalised to everyone

Question 14

strength of interference theory (real world application)

Answer 14

-can help with marketing campaigns
-Danaher et al (2008), people exposed to ads from competing brands within short time frame p’s struggled to recognise brands/messages
-so ads should be spaced far apart from rivals and repeated more than once a day to help avoid dilution of adverts

Question 15

Weakness of interference theory (only explains forgetting when information is similar)

Answer 15

-cannot explain why forgetting occurs in the majority of real life situations when information is not similar
-only one part of a bigger explanation and is over-simplified