INTERFERENCE

• WHAT IS FORGETTING?

  loss/ modification of information already encoded + stored in someone's LTM
• WHAT TYPE OF PROCESS IS FORGETTING?

  spontaneous/ gradual
• WHAT HAPPENS DURING FORGETTING?

  old memories are unable to be recalled from memory storage
• WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF INTERFERENCE?

  proactive, retroactive
• WHAT IS INTERFERENCE?

  explanation of forgetting in which two sets of information become confused
• PROACTIVE INTERFERENCE?

  old learning prevents recall of more recent information (forgetting new information as existing information interferes with new memory)
• RETROACTIVE INTERFERENCE?

  new learning prevents recall of previously learned information (forgetting existing information as new information is interfering with old memory)
• OLD LEARNING PREVENTS RECALL OF MORE RECENT INFORMATION?

  proactive interference
• NEW LEARNING PREVENTS RECALL OF EXISTING INFORMATION?

  retroactive
• STRENGTHS?

  • empirical research support
  • research support for everyday life
• WEAKNESSES?

  • lab experiment (lacks mundane realism)
  • natural/ field experiment (real life setting = low control over extraneous variables)
• EMPIRICAL RESEARCH SUPPORT?

  • Tulving and Psotka
  • gave participants list of 24 words
  • recall was about 70%
  • each time given another list, recall decreased
  • suggests forgetting can be due to proactive interference (old information from first list interfered with newer lists)
• LACK OF MUNDANE REALISM?

  • Tulving + Psotka experiment lacks ecological validity
  • not an example of everyday memory activities
  • not applicable to real life examples of forgetting
• REAL LIFE EVIDENCE?

  • Baddeley + Hitch rugby player study
  • players more likely to remember team name they played 3 weeks ago if they hadn't played one since
  • if they had played a team since, new names interfered with old
  • retroactive interference theory is valid in real life situations
• LACK OF CONTROL OVER EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES?

  • rugby players may have played particular teams more often
  • know some teams well due to friends/ read about them
  • interference theory may not apply to all situations of forgetting
  • cannot establish cause and effect