Interference

• Interference: Proactive

  Older memory disrupts newer memory
• Interference theory

  Forgetting is due to information in LTM becoming confused with or disrupted by other information during coding, leading to inaccurate recall
• Interference: Retroactive

  Newer memory disrupts older memory
• Interference:worse when memories are similar


  Because:

  in proactive interference stored info makes new info difficult to store

  in retroactive interference new info overwrites older memories which are similar
• Interference: Effects of similarity

  McGeoch + McDonald

  experiment, participants were given a list of words to learn

  Once learnt, then given another lists to learn,

  which varied in terms of its similarity to the original.

  Found similar material had worst recall-given different material=recall higher

  shows interference strongest when memory similar
• Strength of Interference : Support from real life

  • Baddeley + Hitch asked rugby players to recall the names of teams they had played so far
  • Accurate recall didn’t depend on how long ago the match was , was the number of games played in the meantime
  • Shows how interference can apply to some everyday situations
• Limitation of interference : Artificial material

  • Stimulus material used often a list of words - different from what we remember in everyday life
  • E.g: in everyday life we remember ppls faces , names , bdays
  • Use of artificial material makes interference much more likely in the lab - not cause of everyday forgetting
• Strength of interference : Support from real life studies

  • Baddeley + Hitch asked rugby players to recall names of teams they had played week by week
  • Accurate recall didn’t depend of how long ago the match took place , it depended on the number of game played in the mean time
  • Shows that interference explanations can apply to some everyday situations