[Memory] Topic 5 - Explanations for forgetting: Interference

Question 1

What is Retroactive Interference?

Answer 1

Is where learning something new interferes with past learning

Question 2

What is Proactive interference?

Answer 2

When past learning interferes with current learning

Question 3

What did Múller and Pilzecker demonstrate?

Answer 3

• Múller and Pilzecker demonstrated retroactive interference by giving participants nonsense syllables to learn for 6 minutes and then after a retention interval, asking the participants to recall the lists.
• Participants were less good when given an intervening task

Question 4

What did Underwood find?

Answer 4

• Analysed the findings from a number of studies and found that participants were less able to learn a list of words later in a sequence in compassion to those shown earlier on
• Underwood found that if participants had to memorise ten or more lists of words then after 24 hours they were tested

Question 5

Evaluation 1: One criticism of research investigating interference is the artificial nature of the tasks

Answer 5

• One criticism of research investigating interference is the artificial nature of the tasks
• Most of the research investigating interference is laboratory based and uses artificial lists of words and or nonsense syllables
• Therefore the findings may not relate to everyday uses of memory which tend not to involve simple word lists
• This suggests that the results of interference research lack ecological validity and may not apply to everyday examples of human memory

Question 6

Evaluation 2: Another criticism of interference research is that it only explains some type of forgetting.

Answer 6

• Another criticism of interference research is that it only explains some type of forgetting.
• Critics argue that while interference effects do occur they do not occur very often
• For example rather than special conditions are required for interference to lead to forgetting the two memories need to be quite similar. This suggests that interference is a relatively unimportant explanation of everyday forgetting and other theories are required to provide a complete explanation