Memory: explanations of forgetting

• The specification.• Explanations for forgetting: proactive

and retroactive interference and retrieval failure due to absence of cues.

Memory: explanations of forgetting

• Forgetting: the loss of the ability to recall something previously learned.

• Interference theory: memory is disrupted or obscured by other information.

Interference theory

• If information is stored in LTM it can last for a long time.• We may not forget it but be unable to

retrieve it accurately.• One memory may interfere with the

retrieval of another memory.

Interference theory

• Proactive interference.• When an old memory interferes with the

accurate recall of a new memory.• Retroactive interference. • When a new memory interferes with the

accurate recall of an older memory.

Proactive interference

• Your friend gets a new mobile phone with a new number.• You learn the new number.• One day you find yourself using the old

number.

Retroactive interference

• Your friend gets a new mobile phone with a new number.• After a while the new number replaces the old

number.• The old number is not forgotten.• The new number interferes with the old

number.

Interference theory

• One way retroactive interference is researched is by getting participants to learn lists of pairs of words.

Underwood & Postman (1960)

Interference theory

• Proactive interference: when list A interferes with list B recall.

• Retroactive interference: when list B interferes with list A recall.

Interference theory

• Interference is worse when the information that people are trying to retrieve from LTM is similar.

Interference theory

• McGeoch and McDonald gave participants 2 lists of words to learn: some with similar meanings some with different meanings.

• Group 1: words with similar meanings.

• Group 2 words with different meanings.

• Group 1: made more mistakes on a memory recall test.

Evaluation: strengths

• Research support

• Lots of carefully controlled lab experiments have found evidence that interference causes forgetting.

Evaluation: strengths

• Real life studies

• Psychologists have carried out experiments that use more realistic materials and provide a more realistic test of human memory.

• This backs up interference as an explanation for forgetting.

Evaluation: limitations

• Artificial Materials

• Lab experiments get participants to learn lists of words.

• This is not a realistic test of human memory.