Explanations of forgetting Flashcards
What are the two explanations for forgetting?
- Retroactive and proactive interference
- Retrieval failure due to absence of cues
What is proactive interference?
When previous information interferes with recent information. In other words what you already know interferes with new material we are currently learning
What is an example of proactive interference?
Difficulties learning the names of students in your new english class and instead keep on remembering the names of last years maths class students
What is retroactive interference?
When recent information interferes with previous information. New current learning interferes with existing knowledge.
What is an example of retroactive interference?
Difficulty remembering names of last years maths class students but you can instead remember this years english class students
What did Godden and Baddeley (1975) find?
18 divers from a diving club were asked to learn 36 unrelated words of 2 or 3 syllables. There were 4 conditions:
1. Learn and recall on a beach (13.5 words)
2. Learn on the beach and recall underwater (8.6)
3. Learn underwater recall on a beach (8.5)
4. Learn and recall underwater (11.4)
What is Tulving’s encoding specificity principle?
The greater the similarity between the encoding event and retrieval event, the greater the likelihood of recalling an original memory
What are the main assumptions of retrieval failure due to absence of cues?
A memory trace is laid down and retained in a memory stare as a result of the original perception of an event complete with its surroundings that act as a retrieval cue. A retrieval cue is a piece of information in the individual’s cognitive environment at the time of encoding that matches the time of recall
What are context cues?
Environment at the time of the information to be remembered. These are cues from the environment that are “hoovered in” to the memory trace
What is an example of a context cue?
Which room we are in when we learn the info, what the weather is like, smells around at the time of encoding etc
What is a state cue?
Emotional, how we are feeling at the time of the information to be remembered. These are cues from within us that are “hoovered in” to the memory trace
What did Goodwin et al find?
P’s were asked to learn content when drunk and sober. Recall was poorer when p’s were in a different internal state
What is an example of a state cue?
Feeling hungry, emotional state, how tired we feel, being drunk etc
What are organisational cues?
Being asked to recall things by certain topics or categories. These are a special type of context cue that help us arrange and structure knowledge and materials.
What is an example of an organisational cue?
Mnemonics to help us remember key info e.g. RATA (evaluating a theory) or GRAVE (evaluating a research study) or Can Do Can’t Do With Participants (ethics)
