Memory: Interference Flashcards
what’s inteference?
it’s an explanation for forgetting LTM. once information has reached the LTM, it’s permanent. any forgetting is due to unable to access them even though they’re available. it’s harder to locate them.
what’s proactive interference?
when an older memory, already stored, disrupt the recall of newer memories. the degree of forgetting is greater when the memories are similar.
what’s retroactive interference?
when newer memoriees disrupt the recall of older memories. the degree of forgetting is greater when memories are similar.
what was McGeoch + McDonald’s study on interference?
they studied retroactive interference by changing the amount of similarities between 2 sets of material. participants had to learn the list until they had 100% accuracy then learned a new list of words. the lists were: synonyms, antonyms, unrelated, consonant syllables, digits.
what were the findings of McGeoch and McDonald’s study?
when participants recalled the original list, their performance depended on the nature of the second list. the most similar material (synonyms) produced the worst recall, showing interference is stronger when memories are similar.
what are lab studies that support interference?
interference is one of the most consistently demonstrated findings. thousands of lab studies have been carried out. they show that both types of interference are very common ways of forgetting LTM. this is a strength because lab studies control the effects of irrelevant influences so is valid.
how is the use of artificial material a limitation of interference?
the stimulus material is mainly lists of words. the task-facing participants have to learn these lists. learning actual words is more realistic than learning consonant syllables. this still has distance from things we try to remember in every-day life. the use of artificial tasks makes interference more likely to happen in a lab.
what real life studies support interference?
Baddeley + Hitch asked rugby players to remember the names of teams they’d played so far. most players will have missed games. they found accurate recall depended on the number of games the played in the meantime, not how long ago the match was. this shows interference can be linked to everyday situations.
