Memory: Explanations of forgetting Flashcards
Context-dependent forgetting
When forgetting occurs because external cues are missing, e.g. location or temperature
Endel Tulving’s encoding specificity principle
In order to remember information, the same cue (trigger) must be present at both encoding and retrieval
Forgetting due to lack of meaningful cues
When forgetting occurs because cues are missing - these cues are relevant to what needs to be memorised, e.g. when a memorisation technique is used
Interference
One memory disrupts the ability to recall another
Most likely to occur when the memories have some similarity
Proactive interference
Old memories interfere with new memories, meaning that it is difficult to remember new memories, e.g. calling your current girlfriend by your ex girlfriend’s name
Retroactive interference
New memories interfere with old memories, meaning that it is difficult to remember old memories, e.g. forgetting the names of old classmates because you have learnt the names of new ones
State-dependent forgetting
When forgetting occurs because internal cues are missing, e.g. mood or alertness
Strengths of interference
McGeoch and McDonald’s study supports interference as it proves that interference can result in the loss of old memories
Baddeley and Hitch’s rugby player study supports interference as players who had played more games against more different people found it harder to remember their names, showing that interference affects memory
Weaknesses of interference
Artificial stimulus materials used in lab studies to support interference theory means that the results are artificial and may not apply to real life
In lab studies, the possibility of interference is maximised as participants do not have much time to memorise stimuli, meaning results do not reflect real life
Baddeley and Hitch (1997) - interference
Asked rugby players to remember the names of players they had played against that season
Found that players who had played in more matches (and thus played against more people) had more difficulty remembering their names
This suggests interference affects recall ability
Carter and Cassaday (1998) - state-dependent forgetting
Participants were asked to remember lists of words/prose and then recall the info, but some were given anti-histamines which made them slightly drowsy
There were 4 conditions: learn and recall on the drug, learn and recall without the drug, learn with the drug and recall without, learn without the drug and recall with
Found that when the condition was the same, participants performed better
Suggests we may forget info if internal cues change between learning and recall
Godden and Baddeley (1998) - context-dependent forgetting
Participants were asked to learn a list of words
There were 4 conditions: learn and recall underwater, learn and recall on land, learn underwater and recall on land and learn on land and recall underwater
Found that in conditions where the context was the same, the divers remembered the list with 40% more accuracy
Suggests that if the context changes between learning and recall, participants are more likely to forget what they learnt
McGeoch and McDonald (1931) - interference
Studied retroactive interference: participants first learned a list of 10 words until they could remember them with 100% accuracy, and then were divided into 6 groups in which each group was given a different type of list with a different level of similarity to the first
Found that participants could best remember the original list if the second list was dissimilar from the first
Suggests that if new memories are similar to old memories, they are more likely to replace those memories
