interference

• forgetting is when learnt info cannot be retrieved
• forgetting in stm - due to decay or displacement
• forgetting in ltm -decay - accessibility - interference
• interference - when something else you have learnt prevents recall
• retroactive interference - new info interferes with old info
• underwood and postman - retroactive interference - one group given list of one work - second group list of two words - group with one list did better - suggests retroactive
• underwood - proactive interference - forgetting over 24 hours - group one learnt 15 lists - struggled to recall last list compared to group 2 only learnt one list
• proactive interference - older info interferes with new info
• support for proactive from lab studies
• issues with interference - used in lab studies - lower ecological validity
• recency effect - remember the most recent events
• primacy effects - remember the first thing that we hear as it goes into ltm
• baddely and hitch - support primacy and recency effect - rugby players