Explanations for forgetting:Interference

Explanations for forgetting:Interference

1. Proactive Interference:

   • Forgetting occurs when older memories, already stored, disrupt the recall of newer memories.
     • The degree of forgetting is greater when the memories are similar.

2. Retro Active Interference:

   • Forgetting occurs, when newer memories disrupt the recall of older memories already stored.
     • The degree of forgetting is greater when memories are similar.

3. Interference:

   • Forgetting because one memory blocks another, causing one or both memories to be distorted.

4. Effects of similarity

   • JOHN MCGEOCH and WILLIAM McDonald (1931)
     • They studied retroactive interference by changing the amount of similarity between two sets of materials.
       • PPS learn a list of words until they remembered with 100% accuracy. Then they learnt a new list.
         • 6 GROUPS OF PPS LEARNING DIFFERENT TYPES OF LISTS
           • Group 1: - Synonyms
             • Group 2: Antonyms
               • Group 3: Words unrelated to the original ones
                 • Group 4: Nonsense syllables
                   • Group 5: Three-Digit numbers
                     • Group 6:No new list, these pps just rested.
                       • FINDINGS
                         • When PPS recalled the original list of words, their performance depended on the nature of the second list
                           • MOST SIMILAIR MATERIAL=WORST RECALL
                             • SHOWING- Interference worse when memories are similar

5. EVALUATION

   • EVIDENCE FROM LAB STUDIES
     • Thousands of lab studies carried out. Lab studies have high internal validity, because of control over extraneous variables, and replicability
   • Artificial Materials
     • Lack of external validity, and real life application due to artificial tasks used in the study.
   • Real- Life Studies
     • ALAN BADDELEY and GRAHAM HITCH (1977)
       • Asked rugby players to remember the names of teams they had played so far that season, week by week.
         • Their recall did not depend on how long ago the matches took place. But it depended on the number of games that had been played in the meantime.
           • Showing that interference explanations can apply to at least some everyday situations.