Forgetting

Forgetting

1. Interference theory

   • The idea that one memory disturbs the ability to recall another. This can lead to forgetting or distorting one piece of information or the other, or both (more likely to happen if the memories are similar.
     • Retro-active interference - When the new memories disrupt the recall of older ones
     • Pro-active interference - When the old memories disrupt the recall of the newer ones.
   • Strengths
     • There are studies to support the inference theory
       • Schmidt et all - 700 names were randomly selected from former school students in a Dutch school. They were sent a questionnaire asking them to name as many local street they could from a map of 48. They were also asked how many times they'd moved and where they lived. They found a positive correlation in the number of times the participants had moved (retro-active interference) and the amount of street names they'd forgotten.
         • Suggests that learning new street names does interfere with the recall of older street names. Retro-active interference does seem to explain people forgetting in some real life cases.
   • Weaknesses
     • The theory doesn't go into the cognitive/biological processes involved in forgetting therefore doesn't fully explain it.

2. Retrieval failure (Cue dependent forgetting)

   • Context dependent failure
     • An external retrieval cue - The relevant environmental cues when learning are missing during recall.
     • Example - chewing gum whilst revising, if you're not chewing the gum when you come to recall the information (in the exam) you may not be able to as the context has changed from when you learnt it.
     • Baddeley and Godden - Researchers recruited scuba divers to be participants. They arranged for them to learn a set of words either on land or in the sea. They were then either tested on land or in sea. They fond those who learned the words underwater had better recall underwater and those who learnt the words on land had better recall on land.
       • This suggests there was retrieval failure when the participants tried to recall the words in a different environment to what they learnt them in. This was due to an absence of environmental cues.
   • State dependent forgetting
     • An internal retrieval cue - The mental state/mood you are in when learning is different to the one you are in when trying to recall.
     • Example - In the classroom you are in more of a relaxed state and not stressed whereas in an exam, when you are stressed, you'll be in a different emotional state. This can lead to retrieval of information being harder.
     • Carter and Cassaday - Gave anti-histamine drugs to their participants which had a mild sedative effect on them. This created a differnt state to their normal of being awake and alert. They were then asked to learn a list of words and recall the information either in the anti-histamine induced state or in their normal state. They found those who were in the same state in learning as they were recall could remember more words.
       • This suggests there was retrieval failure when the participants tried to recall the words in a different state they had learnt them in.