Interference (Baddeley)

Interference (Baddeley)

1. Proactive Interfernce

   • When previous learning disrupts later learning
   • The degree of forgetting is greater when the memories are similar
   • Example: When someone learned Spanish and then Italian, he/ she may experience proactive interference in terms of using Spanish words instead of Italian words.

2. Retroactive interference

   • When later learning disrupts memory for earlier learning
   • Degree of forgetting is greater when the memories are similar
   • Example: Usually drive a right-hand drive car, but after 2 weeks driving a left-hand drive car, the person kept trying to change gear with right hand instead of left
   • (Jenkins and Dallenbach study) Participants were asked to learn a list of nonsense syllables, either in the morning after they getting up or in the evening before going to sleep. Recall was then tested after 1-8 hours. Result was that there was less forgetting when the pps were asleep between learning and recall. There is much more interference with memory during the day, which later memories in the day could have disrupted the nonsense syllables
     • Evaluation: No control over what was happening when the participants were awake or sleep which means there is no control between learning and recalling Some people may study better in the morning and improve performance.

3. Retrieval failure

   • Information stored in the memory cannot be accessed because the retrieval cues are inadequate
   • Cue-dependent forgetting: A cue is a stimulus which triggers recall is absent, therefore memory cannot be retrieved
     • (Tulving and Osler study) 278 pps were presented with a list of words, each of which was paired with a cue word. Pps were asked to recall the words using either free recall or cued recall. Some were also given weakly associated word that were not the original cue words. The result were that cued recall produced better recall and non-cue words do no facilitate recall. This shows cues facilitate recall only if they are stored at the same time as remembering takes place
   • Context-dependent forgetting: Context is the environment around that made up from multiple cues
     • Example: When you think of something upstairs and go downstairs to get it and then forget what you went downstairs for. Then you retrace your steps and go back upstairs
     • (Godden and Baddeley study) 18 divers were asked to learn 40 words either on the beach or under about 15 feet water. They were then asked to free recall the word in either places. The results were that divers recall better in the place where they learnt the words. This shows context plays a part in the ability to recall information correctly.
       • Evaluation: Imagine the original setting where learning took place can help recall. This requires training. Environmental differences need to be substantial before there are any significant differences in recall performance
   • (Tulving and Psotka study) Paired associate learning is used in the study. Some participants had to learn one list, some learning two lists and so on. After each list was presented, pps were then asked to free-recall as many as possible. Then they were asked to do a total free recall and then a total free cued recall. In the total free recall condition, pps who were only given less lists were able to recall a higher percentage of their words. Recall decreased as retroactive interference increased.
     • not sure about this
     • Evaluation: Practice effect may improve performance as pps had completed at least two free recall tests before doing the cued recall. Also, recall was the same for each list no matter how many lists the pps were given in total free cued recall. This means that interference had not caused unlearning which ,memories were available but not accessible.
   • General Evaluation: Internal cues eg mood can also improve recall. Imagine the context in which learning took place can also improve recall( Smith)

4. General Evaluation: Only descriptive not explanatory, doesn't tell us about the cognitive processes. Artificial task- low ecological validity