🟣 Memory: Explanations for forgetting

Question 1

What are the two explanations for forgetting

Answer 1

Retrieval failure

Interference

Question 2

What is interference theory

Answer 2

A form of forgetting stating that interference occurs when at least two pieces of information disrupt each other

Question 3

What are the types of interference

Answer 3

Proactive interference

Retroactive interference

Question 4

What is proactive interference

Answer 4

It is when new information is forgotten - the new information is disrupted by old information

Question 5

Example of retroactive interference

Answer 5

Forgetting old dance moves after learning new dance moves

Question 6

Example of proactive interference

Answer 6

A teacher finding it hard remembering the names of her current class because she has learnt many names in the past

Question 7

What is retroactive interference

Answer 7

When old information is forgotten - when old information is disrupted by new information

Question 8

What effects does similarity have to interference

Answer 8

The more similar the memories are the more likely that they are to be disrupted or corrupted

Question 9

Explain the effects of similarity research process

Answer 9

Participants were given a list of 10 words to learn - then another list was given to them to remember and there were 6 different lists given to 6 groups of participants consisting of words what were synonyms to the original list and ones that were antonyms.

Question 10

Who researched the effects of similarity in interference theory

Answer 10

McGeoch and Mcdonald (1931)

Question 11

What are the evaluation points for Interference theory

Answer 11

• Real-world example of interference
• Counter point of real-world example
• Cues overcome interference
• Drug studies

Question 12

What are the strengths of interference theory

Answer 12

• Real-world example supporting interference theory

• Drug studies

Question 13

What are the weaknesses of interference

Answer 13

• Counterpoint to real world example of interferences

• Cues overcome interference

Question 14

Who researched the real-world study that supports interference theory and in what year

Answer 14

Baddeley and Hitch (1977)

Question 15

Describe the real word example that supports interference theory

Answer 15

Rugby players were asked to recall the names of the teams that they played during the season

Players who played the most games recalled poorer than those who played the least games (due to injuries etc)

Question 16

How is real-world study of interference a strength of interference theory

Answer 16

It increases the validity of the theory as it shows how interference occurs in the real world

Question 17

Explain the counterpoint of the real-world study that supports interference

Answer 17

Due to the study being a real-world application, it lacked control and had many extraneous variables

Question 18

Who discovered that cues can overwhelm interference and in what year

Answer 18

Tulving and Pstoka (1971)

Question 19

What did Tulving and Psotka find out about interference and cues

Answer 19

They found out interference is temporary and can be overwhelmed by cues

Question 20

How did Tulving and Psotka (1971) find out cues can overwhelm interference and what were the results

Answer 20

They found this by giving participants a list of words one at a time organised into categories recall average was about 70% and got worse after learning another category of words

However after given a cue (name of the category) recall rose back to 70%

Question 21

How is the fact that cues can overwhelm interference a limitation of interference theory

Answer 21

It proves that it does not cover all aspects of forgetting

Question 22

Who conducted the drug studies of interference theory

Answer 22

Coenen and Luijtelaar (1997)

Question 23

What were the drug studies of interference theory

Answer 23

Participants were given a list of word to remember, then were given diazepam (so they weren’t able to encode new info) then given another set of words to remember

When asked to recall first set of words they were able to do so very accurately because no information disrupted the other

Question 24

How is the drug studies test a strengthen interference theory

Answer 24

Proves the interference occurs when two pieces of information disrupts the other or each other

Question 25

What is retrieval failure

Answer 25

A form of forgetting when cues (encoded alongside info being learnt) are unavailable during the time of recall

Question 26

What is the encoding specificity principle (ESP)

Answer 26

A principle that states that a helpful cue has to be present during encoding and during recall

Question 27

What is context-dependent forgetting

Answer 27

Forgetting that happens due to external cues

Question 28

Examples of context-dependent cues

Answer 28

Weather

Location

Question 29

Examples of state-dependent cues

Answer 29

Being drunk

Feeling upset

Question 30

What is state-dependent forgetting

Answer 30

Forgetting that happens due to internal cues

Question 31

What research had been done context-dependent forgetting

Answer 31

Four conditions were created for deep sea divers to learn and recall a list of words and see whether the environment impacted or impeded recall ability

Question 32

What were the conditions that the deep sea divers had to learn and recall information during context-dependent forgetting research

Answer 32

• Learn on land - recall on land
• Learn on land - recall underwater
• Learn underwater - recall on land
• Learn underwater - recall underwater

Question 33

What were the results of Godden and Baddeley (1975) research of context-dependent forgetting

Answer 33

Accurate recall was 40% lower in non-matching conditions

Question 34

Explain the research that had been done on state-dependent forgetting

Answer 34

Carter and Cassady (1998) created for conditions on participants by giving them antihistamine drugs (mild sedative) to create a different internal cue from normal

Question 35

Who researched context-dependent forgetting and in what year

Answer 35

Godden and Baddeley (1975)

Question 36

Who researched state-dependent forgetting and in what year

Answer 36

Carter and Cassaday (1998)

Question 37

What were the conditions that participants had to learn and recall information during context-dependent forgetting research

Answer 37

Learn on drug - recall on drugs
Learn on drugs - recall when sober
Learn sober - recall when on drugs
Learn sober - recall when sober

Question 38

What was the results of the state-dependent forgetting research

Answer 38

Performance was significantly worse when there was a mismatch between internal states

Question 39

What are the evaluation points of retrieval failure

Answer 39

Research supporting retrieval failure

Research supporting retrieval failure counterpoint

Real world application of retrieval failure

Retrieval failure only accounts for recall and not recognition

Question 40

What are the limitations of retrieval failure

Answer 40

Retrieval failure only accounts for recall and not recognition

Research supporting retrieval failure counterpoint

Question 41

What are the strengths of retrieval failure

Answer 41

Research supporting retrieval failure counterpoint

Real world application of retrieval failure

Question 42

Explain the evaluation point of real-world application of retrieval failure

Answer 42

Baddeley suggests that cues don’t have a strong effect of forgetting but is still worth paying attention to

Because

When he have trouble remembering something we usually go to the environment in which we last encoded or recalled it

Question 43

How is the evaluation point of real-world application of retrieval failure a strength

Answer 43

It increases the validity of retrieval failure as if shows it is applicable to real world scenarios

Question 44

Explain the research support strengthening retrieval failure as a form of forgetting

Answer 44

As well as Godden and Baddeley’s study (1975) on context-dependent forgetting and Carter and Cassaday’s study (1998)

Memory researchers Keane and Eysenck (2010) argue that retrieval failure is the main reason for forgetting in the LTM

Question 45

How is the research support strengthening retrieval failure as a form of forgetting also seen as a counterpoint

Answer 45

Baddeley (1997) stated that context-dependent cues don’t happen often in real life

And that the studies conducted have dramatic contrast in external cues making then not applicable to real life scenarios

Question 46

Explain how retrieval failure only accounting for recall and not recognition is a limitation of retrieval failure as a form of forgetting

Answer 46

It shows that retrieval failure is a limited explanation for forgetting because it only accounts for recall and not recognition

Question 47

Explain the recall vs recognition evaluation point limiting retrieval failure as a form of forgetting and what it showed

Answer 47

Godden and Baddeley (1980) replicated their underwater experiment but did a recognition test instead of a recall test

(They asked participants if they recognised a list of words and were not required to recall it)

And it showed that performance was the same in all four of the conditions