Explanations of forgetting

• Interference


  2 pieces of information conflict with each other resulting in distortions
• Proactive interference


  Old information interferes with new information
• Retroactive interference


  new information interferes with old information
• Postman (1960)


  - investigated retroactive interference

  - ppts learned 2 lists of paired words

  - a control group wasn't given a second list

  - found that learning items in the second list interfered with memory of the first one
• McGeogh & McDonald


  - investigated the effect of similarity on interference

  - ppts learned a list of 10 words then learned another one with varying levels of similarity

  - synonyms were the worst remembered

  - similarity makes interference more likely
• Retrieval failure


  the inability to recall long-term memories because of missing or inadequate retrieval cues
• Cue


  A trigger of information that allows us to access a memory
• encoding specificity principle


  If a cue is to help is recall a memory, it must be present at the encoding stage and at retrieval
• context dependent memory


  Remembering in the same place as encoding
• state dependent memory


  Remembering in the same state as encoding
• Godden & Baddeley (1975)

  Investigated context dependent memory

  - scuba divers learned and recalled info either on land then in water etc...

  - found that information learned in the same conditions was recalled better
• Goodwin et al (1975)

  Investigated state dependent memory

  - 48 male medical students learned and recalled information when drunk/sober

  - information learned and recalled in the same state was remembered better