Explanations for forgetting- interference

• what are the 2 types of interference

  Proactive and retroactive
• what is proactive interference


  forgetting that occurs when older memories disrupt the recall of new ones
• what is retroactive interference


  when new memories disrupt the old ones
• who were the researchers of explanations for forgetting

  McGeoch and McDonald
• what was the procedure of McGeoch study


  studied retroactive interference by getting participants to learn lists of synonyms, antonyms or consonant syllables
• what were the findings of McGeoch's study


  synonyms had the worst recall as they're similar which causes interference
• what are strengths of the study

  evidence from labs: controls effects and most studies show both types of interference are common ways of forgetting Real life studies: Baddeley got rugby players to recall teams they played 3 weeks ago and they were able to if they hadn't played another game since
• what are limitations of the study

  Artificial materials used meaning interference is maximised in lab settings Time between learning: participants should learn 1 list and then a second 20 minutes later