Theories of forgetting: interference

Theories of forgetting: interference

1. Proactive interference: when an older memory interferes with a new one (remembering old phone number instead of new phone)

2. Retroactive interference: when a new memory interferes with an old one (remembering a new phone number and forgetting the old one)

3. Study: Mcgeoch and Mcdonald-pp learnt list of 10 words then another type of list (synonyms,antonyms,unrelated,nonsense, 3 digit numbers,no list) -most similar words produced worst recall suggesting interference is worse when similar.

4. Positive evaluation:lab studies have consistently demonstrated interference in LTM and labs are controlled settings-real life studies have supported interference( Baddeley and Hitch- asked rugby players to recall names of teams played in that season- didn't matter how long it was- only games played in meantime had an effect-everyday situation)

5. Negative evaluation: use of artificial materials makes interference more likely in labs (words compared to peoples faces) - another limitation is the time allowed between learning and recall(tend to be quite short-not representative to real life- may not be generalizable and interference effects may be exaggerated)