Explanations for forgetting

• What are the two forms of interference in memory?

  Proactive interference and retroactive interference.
• What is proactive interference?


  Old information affects the recall of new information.
• What is retroactive interference?


  New information affects the recall of old information.
• What does the Encoding Specificity Principle state?


  Information present at encoding should also be available at retrieval for good recall.
• What is context-dependent forgetting?


  Forgetting occurs when external retrieval cues differ from those present at encoding.
• What is state-dependent forgetting?


  Forgetting occurs when internal retrieval cues differ from those present at encoding.
• What are the key studies related to interference in memory?


  • List A & B (similar and dissimilar)
  • Rugby Players (interference or retrieval delay)
• What are the types of retrieval failure?


  • Context-dependent retrieval failure
  • State-dependent retrieval failure
• What is proactive interference?


  Old information affects new information, causing forgetting.
• What is retroactive interference?


  New information affects old information, causing forgetting.
• What does the acronym PORN stand for in the context of interference theory?


  • Proactive interference: old information disrupts new.
  • Retroactive interference: new information disrupts old.
  • Applied examples illustrate these concepts.
• How does interference theory explain forgetting in long-term memory?


  It suggests that information can be disrupted by other information during coding.
• In the context of retroactive interference, what happens when you learn a new telephone number?


  You may forget your old telephone number when trying to recall it.
• What is the difference between retroactive and proactive interference in terms of memory recall?


  Retroactive interference involves new information disrupting old, while proactive interference involves old information disrupting new.