Memory : Forgetting Flashcards
What is interference?
One memory will disturb or disort another memory, and this is likely to happen if the memories are similar
What is proactive interference?
A cause of forgetting by which previously stored information prevents learning and remembering new information
E,g
- a old memory interferes with a new memory
What is retroactive interference?
Occurs when newly learned information interferes with and impedes the recall of previously learned information
E.g
- A new memory interferes with an old memory
What is the Postman study? ( aim and method) on retroactive interference
• Aim: To investigate how retroactive interference affects learning. In other words, to investigate whether information you have recently received interferes with the ability to recall something you learned earlier.
• Method: A lab experiment was used. Participants were split into two groups.
• Both groups had to remember a list of paired words – e.g. cat - tree, book -
tractor.
• The experimental group also had to learn another list of words where the second paired word was different – e.g. cat – glass, book – revolver.
• The control group were not given the second list. All participants were asked to recall the words on the first list.
What is the Postman study? On forgetting ( results and conclusions )
• Results: The recall of the control group was more accurate than that of the experimental group because they were not given the second word paired list which meant no interference
• Conclusion: This suggests that learning items in the second list interfered with participants’ ability to recall the list. This is an example of retroactive interference as new information interfered with the old information.
What is retrieval failure
Is an explanation for forgetting from long-term memory. It refers to difficulties in recall that are due to the absence of the correct retrieval cues or triggers.
Baddeley & Hitch (1977) rugby study?
Aim : To investigate retroactive interference in every day memory
Method :
-The sample included rugby union bears who had played every match in the season and players who had missed some games due to injury. The length of time from the start to the end of the season was the same for all players, and players were asked to recall the names of the teams they had played against earlier in the season.
Results :
- The players who had played the most games forgot proportionately in more games than those who had played fewer games due to injury
Conclusion:
- Baddeley and Hitch Concluded that this was the result of retroactive interference as the learning of new information ( new teams ) interfered with the memory of old information ( earlier team names )
Evaluation of the rugby study?
• Issue of validity - evidence that interference can explain forgetting frequently comes from artificial laboratory experiments using artificial tasks, so interference may not occur to the same extent in more real-life settings and scenarios, so challenging interference as an explanation of forgetting
• However, everyday/real life situations have shown interference can explain forgetting, eg Baddeley and Hitch (1977)
Evaluation for Forgetting: interference?
Most of the evidence supporting this theory comes from lab studies i.e. Underwood and Postman. This is a strength as the extraneous variables can be controlled and these experiments can be replicated so reliability can be tested. However they use artificial material (i.e. word lists) which are meaningless to the participants so they do not represent every day situations when we have to remember things which have meaning to us i.e. a shopping list. However there is support for the influence of interference in every day life (Baddeley & Hitch).
-The participants do not have the same motivation to remember the stimuli used in an experiment than they have to remember things which are important to their lives i.e. remembering studies for an exam, so the recall of the participants might be less accurate and make the effects of interference appear stronger than they really are.
What is context dependent forgetting?
Context-dependent forgetting can occur when the environment during recall is different from the environment you were in when you were learning.
What are External / Context codes?
- in the environment, e.g. smell, place etc.
What is internal / state codes?
inside of us, e.g. physical, emotional, mood, drunk etc.
What was Godden & Baddeley study? ( aim and method) (context dependent forgetting)
Aim: Godden and Baddeley (1975) investigated the effect of environment on recall. This study took place in Scotland.
Procedure:
18 divers from a diving club were asked to learn lists of 36 unrelated words of two or three syllables
4 conditions :
a. Learn on beach recall on beach
b. Learn on beach recall under water
c. Learn under water recall on beach
d. Learn under water recall under water
What was Godden & Baddeley study? (Results and conclusions ) on context dependant forgetting?
Results :
- Recall on beach and learnt on the beach : 13.5
- Recall on under water and learnt on the beach : 8.6
- Recall on beach and learnt under water : 8.5
- Recall under water and learnt under water : 11.4
Conclusion: the results show that the context acted as a cue to recall as the participants recalled more words when they learnt and recalled the words in the same environment than when they learnt and recalled the words in different environments.
Evaluation of Godden & Baddeley?
This study has limited ecological validity because the environment was familiar to the divers but the task was artificial as we are not usually asked to learn a list of meaningless words in our everyday life.
•Another weakness is that the groups who learnt and recalled in different environments were disrupted (they had to change environment) whereas the groups who learnt and recalled in the same environment were not disrupted. This could have influenced their recall.
•However it was a controlled experiment so it can be replicated so reliability can be tested.
•Real –life applications:
This is used as a strategy to improve recall
in eye-witness memory when the witnesses are asked to describe the context in which the incident they have witnessed took place during cognitive interviews.
