Explanations: forgetting

Explanations: forgetting

1. one explanation for forgetting is interference. two long term memories may disrupt each other and this will cause you to forget.

2. Retroactive: When the new memory interferes with old memory. For example, A teacher may learn the name of everyone in her class, but may forget class names from last year. Proactive: Old memory interferes with new memory. for example, When the teacher has difficult remembering names in class, due to having learnt so many names in the past. The old memory will disrupt the new memory.

3. Proactive and retroactive Interference is thought to be more likely to occur where the memories are similar, for example: confusing old and new telephone numbers.

4. Postman investigated whether retroactive interference affects learning. In other word learning something new interferes with the ability to recall previous knowledge. Procedure: lab experiment, pp in 2 groups. Both groups had to remember a list of paired words, jelly, cat etc. The experimental group also had to learn another list of words where the second word paired is diff. The control group not given second list. All pps asked to recall words on first list. findings: recall of control group was more accurate than of experimental group. Shows that learning items in second list interfered with pps ability to recall from first list.

5. Evidence from interference can be applied to ED situations. Baddeley and Hitch asked rugby players to recall the names of the teams they had played against during a rugby season. The players all played for the same time interval, but the no. of intervening games varied because some players, due to injuries, were absent during the matches. players who played most games had poorest recall. Shows that interference can operate in some RW situations, increasing validity of this theory. counterpoint: interference may cause some forgetting in ed situations. Lab studies have a high degree of control, meaning researcher can create ideal conditions for interference. Baddeley (1990) states that the tasks given to subjects are too close to each other and, in real life; these kinds of events are more spaced out. This suggests that forgetting may be explained diff. theories like retrieval failure due to lack of cues.

6. One strength is that there's support from drug studies, from retrograde facilitation. Researchers gave pps list of words and later asked them to recall it, assuming interference will occur. when list of words were learned under influence of drug, recall rates were poorer when compared with placebo control group. However, pps then learn the list of words, then took drugs and found recall was better than placebo. Durg improved recall material take beforehand. Wixted says drug prevents new info reaching parts of brain involved in processing memories, so can't interefere with memory. shows forgetting is due to interference.