Explanations for forgetting: interference

• this occurs when two pieces of information conflict with each other, resulting in forgetting one
• • proactive interference: when an older memory interferes with a newer memory
  • retroactive interference: when a newer memory interferes with an older one
• Effects of similarity

  • procedure: McGeoch and McDonald, studied retroactive interference by changing similarity between two sets of materials, PP's had to learn a list of 10 words until they could remember them, learned a new list with 6 groups of PP's who had to learn different lists
  • findings: PP's performance of recalling original lists depended on nature of second list, most similar material produced the worst recall, shows that interference is stronger when the memories are similar
• AO3 Evidence from lab studies

  P: research to support that an explanation of forgetting is interference

  E: McGeoch and McDonald

  E: these studies show that both types of interference are ways we forget info from LTM

  L: strength because lab experiments control effects of extraneous variable

  I&D: experimental reductionism
• AO3 Artificial materials


  P: interference is better demonstrated in lab than irl

  E: stimulus materials used in most studies are lists of words eg Geoch and McDonald

  E: lists of actual words are quite some distance from what we try to remember irl, not ecologically valid

  L: limitation because use of artificial tasks make interference much more likely in the lab

  I&D: idiographic approach
• AO3 Cues


  P: interference effects may be overcome by using cues

  E: Tulving and Psotka gave lists of words organised into categories that were obvious to PP's

  E: recall was 70% for the first word list but this fell as PP's given more lists to learn presumably due to interference