Explanations of Forgetting

• Interference

  Longterm memories become disrupted

  • Proactive: old info disrupts new info
  • Retroactive: new info distrupts old info

  Likely to occur due to similarity due to response competition; info is time sensitive, a bigger gap = less likely to interfere
• (+) A03: Schmidt (Interference)


  Questionnaire given to 211 ppts aged 11-79yr olds, given a map of streets without names around their old school

  • Found that the more times a person has moved, recall is harder
• (+) A03: Greenberg + Underwood (Interference)


  Participants are given 10 new word pairs every 48 hours, found that the number recalled correct reduced after every list, suggesting proactive interference
• (-) A03: Limited Explanation

  Interference doesn't explain forgetting in daily examples, as it only refers to when words are similar
• Cue-Dependent


  Absense of prompts

  • Context Dependent: External environment e.g. sounds, sights
  • State Dependent: Internal environment e.g. emotions, drugs
  • Category Dependent: best with a few things associated
• (+) A03: Godden + Baddeley (Cue)


  Using divers to learn and recall memory on land and underwater

  • Found recall was best if recalled in same context as learnt
• (+) A03: Overton (Cue)


  Material learnt either drunk or sober, recalled drunk or sober

  • Found recall best with same internal cues
• (+) A03: Tulving + Pealstone


  Participants asked to free recall of 48 words or recall 12 4-word categories

  • Found recall best with categoric cues
• (-) A03: Limiting Explanation

  Interference and Cue only explain reasons for temporary loss of information, not permanent loss, so may not be a valid explanation for forgetting