2 Memory- Explanations for Forgetting

Question 1

what are the two explanations for forgetting?

Answer 1

proactive and retroactive interference

retrieval failure due to the absence of cues

Question 2

what is interference?

Answer 2

an explanation for forgetting long term memory as two sets of information become confused, resulting in forgetting one or both memories/ distortion in memory

Question 3

what is proactive interference?

Answer 3

when the old impacts the new
-the recall of newer memories is disrupted

FORWARD (PRO)

Question 4

what is retroactive interference?

Answer 4

when the new impacts the old
-the recall of older memories is disrupted, preventing recall of previous learning

BACKWARD (RETRO)

Question 5

what happens when information is similar?

Answer 5

the degree of forgetting becomes worse when the memories are similar, meaning that interference is worse

Question 6

A03 interference
supporting study
(McGeoch and McDonald)

Answer 6

-they found that when ppts had to learn a list of 10 words until they knew it all, the more similar the word lists, the harder the recall
-supports retroactive interference as similar material disrupts remembering, as new information impacts old

Question 7

A03 interference
supporting study
(Burke and Thomas)

Answer 7

-they found that when ppts were presented with adverts, recalling adverts they had seen first was harder to recall, the effect was greater when adverts were similar
-retroactive interference is supported as it was hard to recall the earlier adverts

Question 8

A03 interference
opposing idea

Answer 8

research support lacks mundane realism
-research comes from lab based, artificial research, using tasks such as recalling word lists- demand characteristics could show
-fails to reflect real life tasks and realistic forgetting

Question 9

A03 interference
alternative theory

Answer 9

cue dependent forgetting
-the absence of cues when encoding determines whether or not we remember memories e.g. revising in similar conditions to exam
-information may require cues to aid the recall

Question 10

A03 interference
application

Answer 10

we learn that similar material is likely to affect memory, to reduce the impact of retroactive interference, students should not study similar material close together- leave gaps
-helps students structure their revision to minimise interference risk

Question 11

A03 interference
limitation

Answer 11

this explanation does not explain most everyday examples of forgetting
-it explains forgetting similar information, which gives it limited applicability to real world memory.

Question 12

what is the retrieval failure explanation?

Answer 12

where information is available in long term memory, but cannot be recalled because of the absence of appropriate cues

Question 13

how do the cues work?

Answer 13

-when we store information initially, the associated cues are stored at the same time
-when we come into the same situation again, these cues can trigger the memory of the situation

Question 14

what is a cue?

Answer 14

a trigger of information that allows us to access a memory (external or internal)

Question 15

what are the two types of cues?

Answer 15

context and state dependent cues

Question 16

what type of cue are context dependent cues?

Answer 16

external (environment)

Question 17

examples of context-dependent cues

Answer 17

smell, place, people, weather and animals

Question 18

when is retrieval more likely for context dependent cues?

Answer 18

when the context at encoding matches the context at retrieval

Question 19

describe the supporting study for context-dependent cues by Godden and Baddeley (1975)

Answer 19

they conducted the seep sea diver experiment
-learnt a list of words underwater or on land, recalling in both environments (4 conditions)
-they found that when contexts where matched with the learning environment, recall was 40% higher

Question 20

what type of cue are state-dependent cues?

Answer 20

internal

Question 21

examples of state-dependent cues

Answer 21

feeling sad, happy, sober, drunk, stressed, hungry etc

Question 22

what are state-dependent cues?

Answer 22

where physical and physiological state is similar at encoding and retrieval

Question 23

describe the supporting study for state-dependent cues by Goodwin et al (1989)

Answer 23

they asked males to remember words when drunk or sober, recall was best when in same state at time of encoding such as drunk
-supports this cue as people remember better when mood is same at time of learning and retrieval

Question 24

A03 retrieval failure
opposing idea

Answer 24

support for the model lacks mundane realism
- research is based on the recall of trivial material, may not be this extreme in real life
-therefore it fails to reflect real world forgetting and retrieval cues, failing to explain day to day events that we may not rely on cues for

Question 25

A03 retrieval failure alternative theory

Answer 25

interference theory- this suggests that forgetting is due to information in the LTM being disrupted by new or old memories causing inaccurate recall -information becomes confused and distorted, the presence of context or retrieval cues does not aid recall

Question 26

A03 retrieval failure application

Answer 26

useful practical applications -students can look for cues when revising to help trigger memory and certain material -the theory can help students recall more information in exams through understanding the importance of cues in the retrieval of information