interference

• porn


  PROACTIVE interfernce (PI) - the OLD interferes with the new information that is trying to be stored

  RETROACTIVE interference (RI) - the NEW information interfered wing the old information already stored
• proactive (old interferes) retroactive (new interferes)
• underwood and postman 1960

  • participants had to learn a series of pairs from list a and b, a stimulus and response
  • then had to learn the pairs from list a and c
  • given the stimulus word, and asked to either recall the word from list b or c

  list b- tested retroactive interference

  list c- tested proactive interference

  • control condition- to see what is recalled when there is no interference

  group b recalled the first list more accurately, which suggests that learning items in the second list interfered with participants ability to recall the first (retroactive interference)
• the more similar the information, the worse the interference, as the information muddles, disrupts, disturbs, obstructs etc
• mcgeoch + mcdonald 1931


  • changing amount of similarity in materials
  • lab experiment- so can be replicated to check for reliability
  • artificial materials- lack mundane realism
  • participants learned list until recall was 100%, then moved onto next

  1. synonyms
  2. antonyms
  3. unrelated
  4. nonsense syllables
  5. three digit numbers
  6. no new list- retested instead

  group 1, least items recalled

  group 6, most items recalled

  as the materials became less similar, interference decreased

  shows interference is strongest when memories are similar
• baddeley + hitch 1977


  • natural experiment - high ecological validity
  • asked rugby players the names of teams they had played so far this season
  • those that had missed games had more accurate recall, as there was less interference

  games are similar, so memories merge together- causing less accurate recall

  supports interference not displacement