explanations for forgetting ltm-interference theory Flashcards
what is assumed
assumed memory can be disrupted or interfered with by what we previously learned or what we will learn in the future
this suggests info in ltm may become confused or combined with other info during coding so it distorts or disrupts memories
what does int theory state
forgetting occurs because memories interfere with and disrupt with one another, (baddeley 1999)
what is proactive interference
when what you already know (old memory) interferes and you forget what you’re currently learning (new)
eg learning your new friend judy’s name but you keep mixing her name up with julie your old friends name
what is retroactive interference
when what you already know is forgotten because of interference from what you’re currently learning (new)
eg you mix up julie for judy’s name
when are both types of interference likely to occur
when the memories are similar
eg mixing old and new telephone numbers
(scout) strength se for interference
pete
p: postman investigated whether info you have recently received interfers with the ability to recall something you learnt earlier
e: participants were split into two groups, both groups had to remember a list of paired words. eg cat tree, jelly, moss, book, tractor. experimental group had to learn another list of words where second paried word different eg cat, glass, jelly, time, book. control group not given second list.
all participants were asked to recall words on first list. recall of control group more accurate than experimental
t: therefore this suggests learning items in second list interfered with participants ability to recall the list. retroactive int. high validity
e: baddeley and hitch
strength se for similarties (can be ao1)
pete
p: mcgeoch and william looked for the effect of similartiy on interference
e: six groups had to learn different types of lists
group 1: synonyms
group 2: antonyms
group 3: words unrelated to original list
group 4: nonsense syllables
group 5: three digit numbers
group 6: no new list just retested.
they then had to recall first list tjpse participants in gorup 1 had worst recall due to learning similar words and group 6 had best recall they didnt learn new info
t: supported theory and high validity
e: baddeley states tasks given are too close to each other and irl these kinds of events are more spaced out. nevertheless recent research has attempted to address this by investigating real life events and has provided support for interference theory
limitation ot
there is another explanation for forgetting - retrieval failure
