Forgetting

• Forgetting

  • Failure to retrieve memories (retrieval failure), because the new information is no longer there (decay) and because we are failing to access the information due to storage issues (interference)

  
• Interference theory

  • Similar info is confused in recall so you muddle memories or material, memory can be disrupted/interfered with by what we have previously learned/by what we will learn in the future. Suggests that info in LTM may become confused or combined with other info during, thus distorting/ disrupting new info

  
• Retroactive interference

  • Works backwards in time and new info disrupts old info previously learned

  
• Proactive interference

  • Works forward in time and old information prevents you learning new information

  
• Baddeley and Hitch 1997

  • Got participants who had played a varying number of rugby games to recall as many teams that they played against as possible more decay was tested by the amount of time played. Results showed that the number of games played affected forgetting rather than time passed

  
• Abul and Bamul 2013

  • Gave participants either a single list of word pairs to learn or 2 lists that would cause interference. Participants were tested after 12 hours of either wakefulness/sleep. Results showed that sleep reduced both proactive and retroactive interference

  
• Henk Sinmidt 2000

  • Aim- Assess the influence of retroactive interference upon the memory of street names during childhood
  • Procedure- 700 names randomly selected from former school students at a Dutch school in Montenburg, questionnaires were sent to them. 211 respondents (11-79) were asked to identify as many numbered street names from a map of 48 local areas. The number of times they moved, where they lived, etc wrre recorded

  
• Henk Sinmidt 2000

  • Findings- Positive correlation between the number of times the participants had moved and the number of street names remembered
  • Conclusion- Learning new street names interferes with the recall of older street names and retrospective interference does seem to explain forgetting rather than time passed

  
• Evaluation

  • Strength- The effect of interference seems to disappear when the knowledge is secure
  • Weaknesses- Only explains forgetting when 2 sets of information are similar and doesn't happen often so it can't explain forgetting in real life settings