Memory L5 - 9 Flashcards
Forgetting:
Inability to access/recover info previously stored in the memory (inaccessible at time of attempted retrieval)
Interference theory:
One or both memories are forgotten/distorted because two memories are in conflict
When is forgetting (according to interference theory) more likely to happen and why does it happen at this point (refer to types of interference)?
- If memories are similar
- PI –> Previously stored info makes new info more difficult to store
- RI –> New info overwrites previous similar memories
Types of interference:
1) Proactive –> Old memory interferes w/ recall of new memory (forward)
2) Retroactive –> New memory interferes w/ recall of old memory (backwards)
What research support is there for interference and what was its aim?
- McGeoch and McDonald (1931)
- Aim: Does interference have an impact on forgetting?
Procedure of McGeoch and McDonald’s study:
Task 1: 6 grps of participants learning word list until 100% accurate
Task 2: 5 of these grps learn another list, each under varying degrees of similarity (interference task)
Task 3: All pps required to recall first list
List the conditions of all 6 grps:
1) No new list (control condition)
2) Synonyms
3) Antonyms
4) Unrelated words
5) Nonsense syllables
5) 3 digit numbers
Results and conclusion of McGeoch and McDonald study (+why?):
- Control grp had best recall score as they had no interference task
- Out of those given another task, those who had numbers recalled best as numbers do not interfere with words
- Group given list of synonyms had lowest recall score as both lists had similar meaning
- Interference is most likely when 2 pieces of info are similar
What was the aim of Baddeley and Hitch (1977) study?
Investigate interference in everyday life
Procedure of Baddeley and Hitch (1977):
- Players asked to recall names of teams they had played against in the season
- Sample included rugby union players, some of whom had missed some games due to injury whereas others had played every match in the season
- Length of season same for all players
Results of Baddeley and Hitch (1977) study:
- Players who had played most games forgot proportionately more games more than those who had played less games
- Equally accurate recalling the last team played regardless of whether it was 3 days or 3 weeks ago
Conclusion of Baddeley and Hitch (1977) study:
Result of retroactive interference
Evaluation of interference theory:
+ Supported by many controlled lab studies eg. McGeoch and McDonald’s study was standardised and matched on levels of difficulty
+ Some realistic studies have been conducted eg. Baddeley and Hitch (1977) –> shows it occurs in everyday life
- Most supporting evidence lacks ecological validity (mundane realism)
- Time period between learning and recall usually short in lab study (lacks mundane realism)
- Effects of interference can be overcome w/ cues
Which study supports the fact that interference can be overcome w/ cues?
Tulving and Psotka (1971)
Procedure of Tulving and Psotka (1971) study:
Gave pps 5 lists of 24 words organised into categories
Results of Tulving and Psotka (1971) study(+ why?):
- Recall was about 70% for first list w/ decreasing accuracy (due to interference)
- After reminder of category (cue) of word list, recall increased back to 70%
Conclusion of Tulving and Psotka (1971) study:
Cues needed to access some memories in LTM, showing interference is not a strong theory of forgetting
What does the retrieval failure theory argue and why?
- Info in LTM cannot be retrieved due to lack of cues
- Associated cues are stored when info is placed in memory, which are then needed to trigger the memory
What is the encoding specificity principle and when and who was it designed by?
- Suggests that cues will help retrieval if the same ones are present at coding and retrieval
- Closer the cue is to og cue, the more effective it is in triggering the memory
- Tulving (1983)
Types of cues supporting ESP:
- Cues linked meaningfully to info remembered
- Cues that are not linked meaningfully but may relate to the context in which learning occurs (external cues)
What research supports the role of ESP in improving recall?
Tulving and Pearlstone (1966)
Procedure of Tulving and Pearlstone (1966) study:
- Recall 48 words belonging to one of 12 categories
- Each word was preceded by its category (cue) eg. Gem: ruby
Results of Tulving and Pearlstone (1966) study:
- If cue is present, overall recall is 60%
- If cue is not present, recall falls to 40%
Conclusion of Tulving and Pearlstone (1966) study:
Retrieval is much better when there are cues to trigger the memory
Context-dependent forgetting:
This can occur when the environment during recall is different from the environment during learning (absence of correct cue)
Which studies supports context-dependent forgetting?
- Abenerthy (1940)
- Godden and Baddeley (1975)
Procedure of Abenerthy (1940) study:
- Arranged students into 4 diff grps to be tested weekly before a certain course began. Conditions:
1) Same teaching room, same instructor
2) Same teaching room, diff instructor
3) Diff teaching room, same instructor
4) Diff teaching room, diff instructor
Results of Abenerthy (1940) study:
- Grp 1 performed the best because the familiar things acted as memory cues
- ‘Able’ students were least affected by changes and vice versa
Procedure of Godden and Baddeley (1975) study:
18 divers from diving club asked to learn lists of 36 unrelated words w/ 2 or 3 syllables + recall. Conditions were:
1) Learn + recall on beach
2) Learn on beach, recall under water
3) Learn under water, recall on beach
4) Learn + recall under water
Results of Godden and Baddeley (1975) study (mean scores):
- Recall is much better when environment of learning and recall matched
1) Learn + recall on beach –> 13.5
2) Learn on beach, recall under water –> 8.6
3) Learn under water, recall on beach –> 8.5
4) Learn + recall under water –> 11.4
Conclusion of Godden and Baddeley (1975) study:
- Shows context dependent forgetting as info was forgotten when context at recall did not match that at learning
- Caused retrieval failure due to lack of cues
Evaluation of context-dependent forgetting:
+ Proved normal real life contexts are important cues for remembering info
- Effect may not be very strong in real life as contexts must be very different for this to be seen. In real life, differences in context are only small
- May depend on type of memory being tested
How might context-dependent forgetting depend on the type of memory being tested?
- When Godden and Baddeley repeated the same experiment but asked pps if they recognised the words rather than free recall, performance was same in all conditions
- No context-dependent effect
- Shows retrieval failure due to absence of cues only occurs for recall of info not recognition
State-dependent forgetting:
Retrieval failure is due to the absence of the same state of mind at learning and recall
Which studies support state-dependent forgetting?
- Carter and Cassaday (1998)
- Goodwin et al (1969)
Procedure of Carter and Cassaday (1998) study:
- Gave pps anti-histamines (drug) to control their hay fever –> made them feel slightly drowsy Groups were:
1) under the influence, under the influence
2) sane, under the influence
3) sane, sane
4) sane, under the influence
Results of Carter and Cassaday (1998) study:
- Recall was best when internal states matched eg. grp 1 + 3 vice versa
Conclusion of Carter and Cassaday (1998) study:
- When internal cues are absent, forgetting is more likely
Procedure of Goodwin et al (1969) study:
- Male volunteers asked to remember a word list when either drunk (3x above UK drink driving limit) or sober
- Recall after 24 hrs when some were sober and others were drunk again
Results of Goodwin et al (1969) study:
Those who had learnt the words under the influence were more likely to remember the words in that same state