INTERFERENCE-AO3

• Weakness- Opposing theory:

  • Another explanation for forgetting- retrieval failure
  • We forget due to not having the presence of cues to access memories, not due to interference
  • Decreases validity- doesn’t explain all aspects that may result in our forgetting
• Weakness- Testability:

  • BADDELEY- tasks given to participants in experiments (e.g. memorising word lists) are too close in time to each other, unlike how we experience memory in real life (more spaced out over time)
  • Decreases validity- lacks testing / application in real-life due to artificial stimuli used 
• Strength- Supporting Evidence McGeoch & William (1931)

  Participants had to learn 10 words until they could repeat them with 100% Accuracy (given the same original word list) Then given a new list depending on their groups

  • Group 1- synonyms
  • Group 2- antonyms
  • Group 3- words unrelated to original list
  • Group 4- nonsense syllables 
  • Group 5- 3-digit numbers
  • Group 6- no new list- retested
  • Group 1- worst recall of first list, Group 6- best recall of first list
  • Increases validity- evidence of the effect of similarity on interference
  • However- artificial stimuli, lacks external validity