FORGETTING

• interference theory

  memory is confused/disrupted by another memory

  more likely to occur when memories are similar- 'response competition'

  two types- proactive, retroactive
• proactive


  information learnt earlier interferes with that learnt later

  calling new partner by ex's name
• retroactive


  where information learnt later interferes with that learnt first

  break your phone so you use your old one but forget how to use it
• strengths of interference

  supporting evidence- Jenkins and Dallenbach, Schmidt- show time alone can't explain forgetting

  Schmidt was more valid

  practical application- can be applied to education - learning similar material together would make forgetting more likely
• weaknesses of interference

  studies that support interference tend to laboratory based

  doesn't cause forgetting in all cases

  simplistic

  difficulties in explaining why the forgetting rate in LTM decreases over time

  can't alone explain forgetting
• retrieval failure theory 


  states that although information is stored in LTM, we can't retrieve it because we are not using correct retrieval cues

  two types of retrieval failure- context-dependent, state-dependent
• context-dependent forgetting


  forgetting is due to lack of environmental cues
• state-dependent forgetting


  internal bodily cues
• strengths of retrieval failure


  a lot of research evidence

  consistent with everyday experiences of sounds, smells and places

  useful practical application
• weaknesses of retrieval failure

  many research studies are lab based- not reflective of real life

  studies rely on very different contexts for forgetting to occur

  unlikely that this type of forgetting is relevant to all types of info