Memory: Explanations For Forgetting Pro/Retroactive Interference & Retrieval Failure Due To Absence Of Cues 24/25 UPDATED

Question 1

Name the two examples of forgetting in interference theory

Answer 1

1) Proactive interference
2) Retroactive interference

Question 2

What is meant by interference theory as an explanation of forgetting?

Answer 2

Where forgetting occurs due to two lots of information, coded at different times becoming confused in the LTM. One memory disrupts the ability to recall another memory.

Question 3

When is forgetting most likely to occur due to interference theory?

Answer 3

When information is similar.

Question 4

How many pieces of information become confused in the LTM when Interference occurs?

Answer 4

2

Question 5

Interference happens when one memory ….. the ability to recall another memory

Answer 5

Disrupts

Question 6

What type of information is most likely going to cause interference?

Answer 6

Similar information

Question 7

Define proactive interference

Answer 7

Where forgetting occurs when past information stored disrupts the ability to recall another memory. Meaning you forget the newer information.

Question 8

Give an example of proactive interference.

Answer 8

The memory of an old phone number means you FORGET your new phone number.

Question 9

Define retroactive interference

Answer 9

Forgetting occurs when recent information stored disrupts the recall of past information stored. Meaning you forget the old information.

Question 10

Proactive interference occurs due to …. information disrupting recall of … information

Answer 10

Past … New/Recent

Question 11

What type of forgetting is:
Past information disrupts the ability to recall new information

Answer 11

Proactive interference

Question 12

What type of forgetting is:
Memory of an old phone number disrupts ability to recall new mobile phone number

Answer 12

Proactive interference

Question 13

What type of forgetting is:
Knowledge of an old car registration plate causes the forgetting of a new car registration plate

Answer 13

Proactive interference

Question 14

What type of forgetting is:
Being unable to write down your new address at the doctors because you can only remember your old address

Answer 14

Proactive interference

Question 15

Retroactive interference occurs when … information disrupts the recall of … information

Answer 15

recent … past

Question 16

What type of forgetting is:
Forgetting due to recent information disrupting the recall of past information

Answer 16

Retroactive interference

Question 17

What type of forgetting is:
memory of a new car registration plate means you forget your old car registration plate

Answer 17

Retroactive interference

Question 18

What type of forgetting is:
Forgetting your old mobile number due to getting a new phone and learning your new number

Answer 18

Retroactive interference

Question 19

What type of forgetting is:
A teacher forgetting the names of their old students because they have learnt the names of their new students

Answer 19

Retroactive interference

Question 20

What type of forgetting is:
Forgetting your old house address at the bank because you have learnt your new house address

Answer 20

Retroactive interference

Question 21

AO3 - Research to support interference theory was conducted by McGeoch and Mcdonald, what did they do? (procedure)

Answer 21

They gave ppts a list of 10 words to learn (list A). Ppts has to learn list A until 100% accuracy. Ppts then had to learn list B (this is the interference). Ppts were then asked to recall list A.

Question 22

AO3 - Research to support interference theory was conducted by McGeoch and Mcdonald, what did they find?

Answer 22

they found that if List B was a list of similar meaning words (synonyms) to List A, recall was poor (12%). However, if the words in List B were different to List A recall was higher (26%).

Question 23

AO3 - How can the methodology used in McGeoch and Mcdonald’s research to support interference theory be praised?

Answer 23

For high in reliability

Question 24

AO3 - Why can McGeoch and McDonald’s research to support interference theory be praised for high reliability?

Answer 24

because it was conducted in a highly controlled lab setting.

Question 25

AO3 - Why is McGeoch and McDonald’s research to support interference theory having high reliability a strength?

Answer 25

It allows for the research to be repeated in the same conditions, for example give each ppt the same time to learn the word list to gain consistent results.

Question 26

AO3 - Why is research such as McGeoch and McDonald’s research to support interference theory criticised for mundane realism?

Answer 26

Because it uses artificial tasks to measure memory.

Question 27

AO3 - Why is McGeoch and Mcdonald’s research to support interference theory having a lack of mundane realism a problem for the support it provides?

Answer 27

This makes it difficult to generalise the findings to real life examples of forgetting, as the research does not reflect what we would try to remember in everyday life such as birthday’s peoples faces etc.

Question 28

AO3 - Research conducted by Baddeley and Hitch supports interference theory. What did they do (procedure)

Answer 28

They asked rugby players to recall the names of teams they had played against over a rugby season. The players all played for the same time interval, however some players did not play all the games due to injury.

Question 29

AO3 -Research conducted by Baddeley and Hitch supports interference theory. What did they find?

Answer 29

Baddeley and Hitch found that players who had played more games forgot proportionally more games than those who had played fewer games.

Question 30

AO3 - How does Baddeley and Hitch’s research (rugby player study) support interference theory?

Answer 30

it demonstrates that the games became confused in memory and therefore less were likely to be recalled, rather than being due to the amount of time that had passed.

Question 31

Retrieval failure occurs due to a lack of which type of cues? (2)

Answer 31

Internal cues
External cues

Question 32

Describe retrieval failure due to absence of cues.

Answer 32

Retrieval failure due to absence of cues suggests that forgetting occurs when information is still in the LTM but can’t be accessed due to lack of memory cues.

Question 33

Retrieval Failure explains which two types of forgetting?

Answer 33

Context-dependent forgetting
State-dependent forgetting

Question 34

Context-dependent forgetting occurs due to a lack of which cues?

Answer 34

External

Question 35

State-dependent forgetting occurs due to a lack of which cues?

Answer 35

Internal

Question 36

How do cues help in recall?

Answer 36

Trigger information

Question 37

Describe context-dependent forgetting as an explanation of forgetting.

Answer 37

Forgetting occurs due to a lack of external cues to trigger recall, because the environment is different at recall to when information was coded meaning forgetting is more likely.

Question 38

Describe state- dependent forgetting as an explanation of forgetting.

Answer 38

Forgetting occurs due to a lack of internal cues to trigger recall, because a person’s internal physical and or emotional state is different at recall to when the information was coded, meaning forgetting is more likely.

Question 39

What type of forgetting explains:
Saima completes her Psychology lessons in 2N1, however she sits her synoptic in the Theatre and forgets all her information.

Answer 39

Context-Dependent Forgetting

Question 40

What type of cues is Saima lacking?
Saima completes her Psychology lessons in 2N1, however she sits her synoptic in the Theatre and forgets all her information.

Answer 40

External Cues

Question 41

What type of forgetting explains:
Saima completes her Psychology lessons when she is relaxed. However when she sits her final exams she is really anxious and worries that she’ll fail.

Answer 41

State-dependent forgetting

Question 42

What type of cues is Saima lacking?
Saima completes her Psychology lessons when she is relaxed. However when she sits her final exams she is really anxious and worries that she’ll fail.

Answer 42

Internal Cues

Question 43

What type of forgetting occurs due to a lack of internal cues?

Answer 43

State-dependent forgetting

Question 44

What forgetting occurs due to a person’s emotional state being different at coding compared to recall?

Answer 44

State-dependent forgetting

Question 45

What type of forgetting explains:
A person forgetting a dance routine because they learnt it when calm and relaxed but on stage for the performance became frightened and anxious

Answer 45

State-dependent forgetting

Question 46

If a person’s environment is different at the time of coding the information compared to recalling the information, what cues do they lack causing forgetting?

Answer 46

External Cues

Question 47

If a person’s emotional or physical state is different at the time of coding the information compared to recalling the information, what cues do they lack causing forgetting?

Answer 47

Internal Cues

Question 48

What type of forgetting explains:
Harry and his friends were drunk when they came up with an idea about what to buy their friend for his birthday. However, the next day once sober, Harry and his friends had forgotten what the gift was

Answer 48

State dependent forgetting

Question 49

Harry and his friends were drunk when they came up with an idea about what to buy their friend for his birthday. However, the next day once sober, Harry and his friends had forgotten what the gift was.
What cues are Harry and his friends lacking, causing forgetting to occur?

Answer 49

Internal cues

Question 50

Harry and his friends were drunk when they came up with an idea about what to buy their friend for his birthday. However, the next day once sober, Harry and his friends had forgotten what the gift was.
Why do Harry and his friends forget?

Answer 50

Different physical state at coding & recall

Question 51

Forgetting due to retrieval failure and interference occurs in which memory store?

Answer 51

LTM

Question 52

AO3 - Research to support context dependent forgetting was conducted by Godden and Baddeley. What did they do? (procedure)

Answer 52

Scuba divers were given a list of words to learn either on land or under water. They were then asked to recall the list in either the same setting they learned, or the opposite

Question 53

AO3 -Research to support context dependent forgetting was conducted by Godden and Baddeley. What did they find?

Answer 53

It was found that the participants were more likely to forget the words (40% less accuracy) if tested in the opposite location to where they had learned the words.

Question 54

AO3 - How does Godden and Baddeley’s research support context dependent forgetting?

Answer 54

This supports context dependent forgetting BECAUSE it demonstrates that when there is a lack of external memory cues (different environment), forgetting is more likely. Therefore, increasing the validity of context-dependent forgetting as an explanation of forgetting.

Question 55

AO3 - Research to support state dependent forgetting was conducted by Goodwin et al. What did they do? (procedure)

Answer 55

Male volunteers were asked to learn a list of words when either drunk or sober. They were then asked to recall the words, 24 hours later, in either same state or opposite state.

Question 56

AO3 - Research to support state dependent forgetting was conducted by Goodwin et al. What did they find?

Answer 56

It was found that participants were more likely to forget the words if tested in the opposite state to which they had learned the words.

Question 57

AO3 - How does Goodwin et al’s research support state dependent forgetting?

Answer 57

This supports state dependent forgetting BECAUSE it demonstrates that when there is a lack of internal memory cues (different physical/emotional state), forgetting is more likely. Therefore, increasing the validity of state dependent forgetting as an explanation of forgetting.

Question 58

AO3 - Why might the research into retrieval failure due to absence of cues be criticised for lacking mundane realism. Provide examples.

Answer 58

Because much of the research uses artificial tasks. For example. In the scuba diver study by Godden and Baddeley, ppts were trying to learn and recall lists of words.

Question 59

AO3 - Why is research into retrieval failure lacking mundane realism a problem?

Answer 59

because , it is difficult to generalise the findings to everyday cases of forgetting, as in real life we may be learning much more complex information, such as psychological theories, that may not be as easily accessed with an internal or external cue.

Question 60

AO3 - Why might retrieval failure due to absence of cues be praised for having practical applications?

Answer 60

because the theory can be applied to everyday life such as finding ways to improve questioning techniques within the police system.

Question 61

AO3 - What practical application has been developed through understanding retrieval failure due to absence of cues? In particular, content dependent forgetting.

Answer 61

to create a technique used by police in the cognitive interview, known as context-reinstatement. Witnesses to a crime are asked to imagine themselves at the scene of the crime (context), and to imagine how they were feeling (state) when recalling the events, this has been found to be effective in triggering memories as they access internal and external memory cues.