Interference theory

Cards (7)

What is interference theory
When 2 pieces of information disrupt each other resulting in forgetting or distortion (LTM)
what is proactive interference
old memories interfere with new memories E.G. old phone number disrupts attempts to learn new phone number
what is retroactive interference
new memories interfere with old memories E.G. change password, unable to remember old password because of remembering new one
how does similarity effect interference theory
interference worse when memories similar.
research on retroactive: change level of similarity between 2 sets of materials. 6 groups learnt 10 words then new list > synonyms/ antonyms/ unrelated/ consonant syllables/ 3 digit number. (control no new list)
found more similar second list worst recall
Strength of interference theory: supporting study
Interference in everyday life > rugby players had to recall names of enemy teams > players who played most games worst recall as more to remember > high likelihood of interference
However this was unusual and only rugby
weakness of interference theory: low validity
most studies are lab based so low ecological validity
Weakness of interference theory: only temporary
Interference can be overcome by cue’s > study had 1 word list to recall at a time (first list 70% accurate) and then added more lists to remember > more lists lowered accuracy but with cue’s recall rose again > interference only temporary loss of accessibility