MEMORY: Interference Theory

Question 1

What is interference

Answer 1

whe two pieces of info disrupt each other

end result = forgetting of one or both / some distortion of memory

Question 2

interference is mainly proposed as an expalnation of forgetting mainly in

Answer 2

LTM

Question 3

Why is Interference mainly proposed as an esplanation of forgetting in LTM

Answer 3

once info reached LTM more or less permanent

therefore forgetting of LTM most likely cause we can’t access to them even thought they’re available

Question 4

What does interfernce between memories do

Answer 4

make it harder for us to locate them and this is experienced as forgetting

Question 5

its likely the two/more pieces of interfernece were stored at

Answer 5

different times

Question 6

What are the two types of interference

Answer 6

proactive

retroactive

Question 7

What is Proactive Interference

Answer 7

older memory interferes with a newer one

Question 8

What is Retroactive Interference

Answer 8

newer memory interferes with the retrieval of an older one

Question 9

In PI and RI when is interference worse

Answer 9

when memories/learning are similar

Question 10

Who carried out research into the effects of similarity

Answer 10

Mcgeoh and Mcdonald

Question 11

What type of interference did McGeoh and McDonald study

Answer 11

retroactive interference

Question 12

How did M and M study RI

Answer 12

by changing the amount of similarity between two sets of materials

Question 13

What did pt have to do then what

Answer 13

Pt had to learn a list of 10 words till they could rember them with 100% accuracy

then learned a new list

Question 14

How many groups if pt and what did they have to lean

Answer 14

6 groups of pt

learn diff types of new lists

Question 15

What were the 6 differnt groups

Answer 15

synonyms - similar meaning to og words 
antonyms 
words unrelated to og ones 
consonant syllables 
3 digit numbers 
no new list  - control condition , pt just rested

Question 16

when pt asked to recall og list of words who produced the worst recall

Answer 16

synonyms list

Question 17

What does synoym producig teh worst recall show

Answer 17

interference strongest when memories are similar

Question 18

How do we know who did best to worse

Answer 18

use list in q 15 and go from top ‘worst’ to last ‘best’

Question 19

what are the reasons similarity effects recall

Answer 19

PI

RI

Question 20

explaoin how PI similarity affects recall

Answer 20

old stored info makes new

similar info more difficult to store

Question 21

explaoin how RI similarity affects recall

Answer 21

new info overwrites old simlar info/mem becuase of similarity

Question 22

eval uation points

Answer 22

evidence of interference effect in everyday situations baddeley and hitch

counterpoint - interference can occur in everyday situations but the conditions for this to happen are rare

limitation - interference is temporary but can be overcome by using cues

strength - support from drug studies - evidence of retrograde facilitation

Question 23

explain the strength of evidence of interference effect in everyday situations

x and hitch asked x players to x team names they played in a x

players who played x games(most x for memory) had the x recall

shows x can operate in some x world situations increasing the x of the theory

Answer 23

baddeley and hitch asked rugby players to recall team names they played in a season

players who played most games(most interference for memory) had the poorest recall

shows interference canoperate in some real world situations increasing the validity of the theory

Question 24

explain Counterpoint for evidence of interference effect in everyday situations

x needed for interference to occur are quite x

very unlike x studies were the high degree of x means researcher can create ideal x for interference

two memories must eb fairly x for interference to occur

may happen x in everday life e.g revising x and spanish close in time

sugessts most forgetting x explained by other x such as x failure due to lack of x

Answer 24

conditinos needed for interference to occur are quite rare

very unlike lab studies were the high degree of control means researcher can create ideal conditions for interference

two memories must eb fairly similar for interference to occur

may happen occasionally in everday life e.g revising french and spanish close in time

sugessts most forgetting better explained by other theories such as retrieval failure due to lack of cues

Question 25

explain limitation of interference is temporary and can be overcome by using cues

researchers gave pt lists of words organised into x , one list at a x - pt weren’t told the x

1st list recall=x got worse as learned more (xx)

@ end of procedure pt given x recall x - told the name of the x

recall rose again to about x%

shows inteference causes x loss of accessibility to material still in x , a finding not x by interference theory

Answer 25

researchers gave pt lists of words organised into categories , one list at a time - pt weren’t told the categories

1st list recall=70% got worse as learned more (PI)

@ end of procedure pt given cued recall test - told the name of the categories

recall rose again to about 70%

shows inteference causes temporary loss of accessibility to material still in LTM , a finding not predicted by interference theory

Question 26

explain support from evidence of retrograde facillitation

pt list of words later asked them to recall list ,
assuming x experiences would act as x

list of words learned under drug
recall one week later x compared with x control group

when lsit learned x drug was taken, x recall better than the x

so drug imporved x of material learned x

was suggested drug prevents x info (after taking drug) reaching parts of the x involved in processing x

so it cannot interfere x with x already stored

findings show x can be due to interference - reduce the x reduce the forgetting

Answer 26

pt list of words later asked them to recall list ,
assuming intervening experiences would act as inteference

list of words learned under drug diazepam
recall one week later poor compared with placebo control group

when lsit learned before drug was taken, later recall better than the placebo

so drug imporved recall of material learned beforehand

was suggested drug prevents new info (after taking drug) reaching parts of the brain involved in processing memories

so it cannot interfere retroactivley with info already stored

findings show forgetting can be due to interference - reduce the intefrerence reduce the forgetting