Memory- Forgetting

Question 1

What do experiments on memory assume?

Answer 1

If you can’t retrieve a memory, it’s forgotten

Question 2

What is forgetting information in STM thought to be because of?

Answer 2

An availability problem- information is no longer available because of the limited capacity or the limited duration of STM, information may have been displaced or decayed

Question 3

What is forgetting caused by in LTM?

Answer 3

• Decay
• Accessibility problem- hard to retrieve
• Interference problem- information is confused

Question 4

What is the theory of interference?

Answer 4

Ability to remember something you’ve learnt can be affected by something similar you’ve learnt before or since

Question 5

What is retroactive interference?

Answer 5

Where new information interferes with the ability to recall older information

Question 6

What is proactive interference?

Answer 6

Where older information interferes with the ability to recall new information

Question 7

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 7

Information still exists in memory but isn’t accessible

Question 8

What is cue-dependent learning?

Answer 8

We remember more if we were in the same context/mood as we were when we originally coded the information

Question 9

What was Tulving and Psotka’s study?

Answer 9

• Compared theories of interference and cue-dependent forgetting
• Each participant given either 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 lists of 24 words
• Each list divided into 6 categories of 4 words
• Words presented in category order
• One condition was total free recall after lists were presented
• Another condition was free cued recall after lists were presented

Question 10

What were the results from Tulving and Psotka’s study?

Answer 10

• Total free recall condition, evidence of retroactive interference
• Participants with 1 or 2 lists to remember had higher recall than those with more lists to remember
• Suggests later lists were interfering with remembering earlier lists
• In cued recall test, effects of retroactive interference disappeared

Question 11

What was the conclusion from Tulving and Psotka’s study?

Answer 11

Forgetting shown in free recall condition was cue-dependent forgetting

Question 12

What was the evaluation from Tulving and Psotka’s study?

Answer 12

• Lab experiment so highly controlled and reduced effect of extraneous variables
• Lacks ecological validity as setting and task are artificial
• Results can’t be reliably generalised

Question 13

What are strengths of cue-dependent forgetting theory?

Answer 13

• Strong evidence

Question 14

What are weaknesses of cue-dependent forgetting theory?

Answer 14

• Artificial evidence

- May not explain all types of memory