Memory- LTM and Forgetting Flashcards
Types of long term memory
Semantic
Episodic
Procedural
Semantic memories
Memories of the meanings of things, facts and people
Episodic memories
Memories of events / occurrences
Procedural memories
Memories of skills and processes
Explicit memories
Memories which have to be consciously retrieved
Implicit memories
Memories which don’t have to be consciously retrieved
Types of forgetting in LTM
Retrieval failure
Interference
Interference
When memories are confused with each other or one confuses another
Types of interference
Proactive
Retroactive
Proactive interference
When old information disrupts the learning of new information
Retroactive interference
When new information disrupts the retrieval of old information
Retrieval failure
Information is unable to be retrieved due to the absence of cues
Context cues
Make retrieval easier when in the same environment as when information was learned
State cues
Make retrieval easier when in the same mental state as information was learned
Context dependent forgetting
Information is difficult to remember when in a different environment than it was learned
State dependent forgetting
Information is difficult to remember when in a different mental state than when it was learned
Study supporting proactive interference
Underwood
Underwood study
Ps who learned one list could remember 70% the next day, Ps who learned 10 or more lists could only remember 20%
Study supporting retroactive interference
Muller
Muller study
Recall of nonsense words was worse for participants who were given a distraction task afterwards
Study supporting context dependent forgetting
Godden and Baddeley
Godden and Baddeley study
Participants either learned word lists on land or in water. Recall was more accurate when remembered in the same context it was learned.
Study supporting state dependent forgetting
Goodwin et al
Goodwin et al study
Participants learned word lists while either drunk or sober. Recall was more accurate in the same state it was learned in.
