Memory : Explanations for forgetting, Interference

Question 1

when does interference occur?

Answer 1

when two peices of information disrupt eachother, resulting in forgetting one or both, or in some distortion in memory

Question 2

what are the two types of interference?

Answer 2

proactive
retroactive

Question 3

what is proactive interference?

Answer 3

occurs when an older memory interferes with a new one

Question 4

what is retroactive interference?

Answer 4

when new memory interferes with old one

Question 5

what two researchers investigated retroactive interference?

Answer 5

McGeogh and Mcdonald (1931)

Question 6

outline McGeogh and McDonald’s procedure

Answer 6

studied retroactive interference by changing similarity between 2 sets of materials

6 groups of participants had to learn lists of 10 words until remembered 100% accuracy. new list was then learnt, differed by group.

e.g. group 1 - synonyms
group 2 - antonyms

Question 7

what were the findings and conclusions of McGeogh and McDonald’s study?

Answer 7

when asked to recall original list, synonym group had worst recall

shows interference strongest when memories similar

Question 8

outline a strength of the theory

Answer 8

real-world interference
Baddeley & Hitch (1977)
asked rugby players to recall team names of oppositions over a rugby season
players all played for same time interval but number of intervening games varied due to players missing matches for injuries
players who played the most games had the poorest recall
shows interference can operate in some real-world situations, increases validity of theory

Question 9

outline a counter arguement relating to Baddeley & Hitch’s 1977 study

Answer 9

interference in everyday situations unusual because conditions required rare
this is unlike lab studies, where the high degree of control means researchers can create ideal conditions for interference
suggests most forgetting may be better explained by other theories i.e. retrieval failure due to lack of cues

Question 10

outline one limitation of the theory

Answer 10

interference is temporary and can be overcome by use of cues
Tulving & Psotka (1971)
gave participants list of categorised words, one list of a time (participants not aware of categories)
1st list -> average recall 70%
progressively worsened as participants learnt additional lists (proactive interference)
at end of procedure, participants given cued recall test where they were told categories
recall rose to 70% again
shows interference causes temporary loss of accessibility to material in LTM, a finding which isn’t predicted by interference theory