forgetting

• theories for forgetting in STM

  trace decay, displacement theory
• strengths and weaknesses of displacement theory

  Strengths: can help explain recency effect and capacity

  Weaknesses: can only explain forgetting in STM as the capacity of LTM is endless
• strengths and weaknesses of trace decay

  Strengths: can be applied to both STM and LTM

  Weaknesses: perhaps info is dispaced rather than decayed
• what are the theories for forgetting in LTM?

  Interference theory, cue-dependent forgetting and repression
• studies that support displacement theory

  Waugh and Norman (1965) found that if a number ocurred towards the end of a list recall of the next number was better. Supports idea of limited capacity.
• studies that support trace decay

  Kandel (2006) found that after repeated stimulation there were structural changes in the hippocampus of sea slugs. Suggests a physical tace (engram) are created in STM then sent to LTM to become permanent.
• What are the 2 types of cue-dependent forgetting?

  Context dependent forgetting and state dependent forgetting
• what is state dependent forgetting?

  where it is easier to recall info if you are in the same internal state that you were originally in when you learnt the info e.g. drunk or high
• what is context dependent forgetting?

  where it is easier to recall info if you are in the same external environment that you were orginally in when you learnt the info e.g. under water.
• what are the 2 types of interferance?

  Proactive and Retroactive
• what is retroactive interferance?

  where new info disrupts the brains ability to recall past info
• what is proactive interferance?

  where previous info stored interferes with the brains ability to recall new info
• what is repression?

  when a person unconsciously banishes painful or traumatic memories to our unconcious mind as a defense mechanism
• studies that support retroactive interferance?

  Schmidt et al (2000) 211 former dutch rimary school students aged 11-79 each sent a questionaire and a map of the neighborhood of their primary school with street names replaced with numbers. Asked to recall as many as they could. Found positive correlation between how many they could recall and how many times they had moved house.
• strengths and weaknesses of interferance theory

  Strengths: supported by lab experiments and can occur in real life e.g. learning languages.

  Weaknesses: appears more in artificial settings and doesn't explain biological or cognitive parts of forgetting.
• strengths and weaknesses of cue-dependent forgetting

  Strengths: supported by lab studies and is most supported reason for forgetting.

  Weaknesses: lacks ecological validity and doesn't explain how cues are relevant in other forms of LTM e.g. procedural memory
• studies that support state dependent forgetting

  Overton (1972)

  Darley et al (1973) had particicpants hide money when under the influence of marijuana and saw that recall of where it was hidden was better when they were again under the influence of the drug
• studies that support context dependent forgetting

  Godden and Baddeley (1975) divers could recal info learnt underwater better when underwater

  Abernathy (1940) found that after learning the material participants did worse on a test when in an unfamiliar room with and unfamiliar teacher.