Explanations for Forgetting

• decay theory is the idea that we forget because the memories dont exist anymore
• retrieval failure is the idea that we forget because the path to a memory is blocked
• interference theory is a type of retrieval failure that happens with similar memories

  you can accidentally retrieve one memory instead of another
• proactive interference is when an old memory interferes with a new one
• retroactive interference is when a new memory interferes with an old one
• Limitations of cue dependent forgetting theory

  • studies are all laboratory studies, so they use artificial stimuli and lack ecological validity
  • may not be able to explain forgetting of non-declarative memories (such as procedural memories) which arent affected by internal or external stimuli
• Tulving's encoding specificity principle

  the greater the similarity between the encoding event and the retrieval event, the greater the likelihood of remembering is
• cue dependent forgetting theory:

  context dependent forgetting

  state dependent forgetting
• too many memories associated with one cue leads to cue overloading
• cue-dependent forgetting can explain why we recall one memory instead of another when the memories are very similar and are likely to be associated with the same cue