Explanations of forgetting

Question 1

Forgetting

Answer 1

The inability to recall information that was previously stored in memory

Question 2

What are the two main explanations of forgetting?

Answer 2

Inference, Retrieval failure

Question 3

What are the two types of inference in forgetting?

Answer 3

Proactive and Retroactive

Question 4

Why does retrieval failure occur?

Answer 4

absence of cues

Question 5

Interference theory

Answer 5

Forgetting occurs when memories are in conflict and memories are distorted due to similarities

Question 6

proactive interference

Answer 6

When an old memory interferes with the recall of a new memory

Question 7

retroactive interference

Answer 7

When a new memory interferes with an old memory

Question 8

What was the aim of McGeoch and McDonald (1931) study?

Answer 8

to see if interference had an impact on forgetting

Question 9

What was the method of McGeoch and McDonald (1931) study?

Answer 9

6 groups learn words to 100% accuracy and 5 learn new list (interference). Then they had to recall original list

Question 10

What were the 6 groups in McGeoch and McDonald’s study?

Answer 10

Synonyms, Antonyms, Unrelated words, Nonsense syllables, 3 digit numbers, No new list

Question 11

What were the results of the McGeoch and Mcdonald’s study?

Answer 11

Control group recalled most information with no interference group.

Question 12

What are the strengths of interference as an explanation of forgetting

Answer 12

• Supported by many well-controlled lab studies (McGeoch and McDonald shows interference)
• Realistic studies support this (Baddeley and Hitch)

Question 13

What are the weaknesses of interference as an explanation of forgetting

Answer 13

• Most supporting studied are lab studies so unrealistic material and lacks ecological validity
• Time periods between learning content and recall is short so lacks ecological validity
• effects of interference can be overcome using cues

Question 14

What was the aim of Baddeley and Hitch’s (1977) study?

Answer 14

Wanted to investigate interference in everyday life

Question 15

What was the method of Baddeley and Hitch’s (1977) study?

Answer 15

Sample of rugby players who had played every seasons match and some who had missed some games due to injury. The length of time from the start to end of the season was the same for all players and players were asked to recall the names of teams the have played against

Question 16

What were the results of the Baddeley and Hitch’s (1977) study?

Answer 16

Players who played most games forgot more games than those who played less and accuracy didn’t depend on how long ago the match was

Question 17

What was the conclusion of Baddeley and Hitch’s (1977) study?

Answer 17

This was a result of Retroactive interference as the memory of new information interferes with memory of old information

Question 18

Encoding specificy principle

Answer 18

Cues will help retrieval if same cues are present at coding and retrieval. The closer the retrieval cue to the original cue, the more effective the cue in triggering the memory

Question 19

What is the research support of the encoding specificity principle in improving recall?

Answer 19

Tulving and Pearlstone (1966)

Question 20

What was the method of Tulving and Pearlstone (1966) study?

Answer 20

Participants recall 48 words that belong to one of 12 categories as each word was preceded by its category which would be the cue.

Question 21

What was the result of Tulving and Pearlstone (1966) study?

Answer 21

If the cue was presented at recall then overall recall was 60%, if not then it was 40%.

Question 22

What was the conclusion of Tulving and Pearlstone (1966) study?

Answer 22

Retrieval of information stored in the LTM is better when there are cues present, supporting encoding specificity principle

Question 23

Context dependent forgetting

Answer 23

We forget the information because the context we learned the information in was different to the context when you had to remember the information so the absence of the correct cue (environment) leads you to not be able to recall the information

Question 24

What studies support context dependent forgetting?

Answer 24

Abernerthy (1940) and Godden and Baddeley (1975)

Question 25

What was the method of the Abernerthy (1940) study?

Answer 25

A group of students were to be tested priot to a certain course beginning and then tested weekly but in four different groups

Question 26

What was the first group in the Abernerthy (1940) study?

Answer 26

Group 1) Same teaching room, same instructor

Question 27

What was the second group in the Abernerthy (1940) study?

Answer 27

Group 2) Same teaching room but different instructor

Question 28

What was the third group in the Abernerthy (1940) study?

Answer 28

Group 3) Different room but same instructor

Question 29

What was the fourth group in the Abernerthy (1940) study?

Answer 29

Group 4) Different room, different instructor

Question 30

What were the results of the Abernerthy (1940) study?

Answer 30

Group 1 performed the best because the familiar things (context staying the same) acted as memory cues. However, 'able' students were least affected by changed and 'less' able students were more affected

Question 31

What was the method of Godden and Baddeley (1975)?

Answer 31

18 divers were asked to learn lists of 36 unrelated words of two or three syllables and the recall them. Each diver had to participate in 4 conditions.

Question 32

What were the four conditions of the Godden and Baddeley (1975) study?

Answer 32

a) Learn on the beach, recall on the beach b) Learn on the beach, recall underwater c) Learn underwater, recall on the beach d) Learn underwater, recall underwater

Question 33

What were the results of the Godden and Baddeley (1975) study?

Answer 33

Recall was better when the environment they learnt and recalled the information matched.

Question 34

What was the conclusion of the Godden and Baddeley (1975) study?

Answer 34

When external cues available at the time of learning were different to the ones at recall, there was retrieval failure due to lack of cues showing context dependent forgetting.

Question 35

What was the weakness of the Godden and Baddeley (1975) study?

Answer 35

- Baddeley argues such context effects may not be strong in real life and contexts much be very different before context effect is seen and this rarely happens in real life. This suggests lack of contextual cues may not commonly explain forgetting irl

Question 36

What was the strength of the Godden and Baddeley (1975) study?

Answer 36

+ Abernerthy's study did prove that the context was an important cue in remembering info

Question 37

State dependent forgetting

Answer 37

Argues retrieval failure is due to absence of the same state of mind at learning and recalling

Question 38

What is the evidence for state dependant forgetting?

Answer 38

Carter and Cassaday (1998)

Question 39

What was the method for Carter and Cassaday (1998) study?

Answer 39

They gave participants anti-histamines - drugs that make people drowsy. Had to learn lists of words and passages of information and recall. There were 4 groups in 2 groups internal state matched and the other two they didn't

Question 40

What were the groups in Carter and Cassaday (1998)?

Answer 40

Group 1 - Learn on drug, recall on drug Group 2 - Learn not on drug, recall on drug Group 3 - Learn and recall not on drug Group 4 - Learn on drug, recall not on drug

Question 41

What was the results of the Carter and Cassaday (1998) study?

Answer 41

Participants recalled best when their internal state matched learning and recall

Question 42

What was the conclusion of the Carter and Cassaday (1998) study?

Answer 42

When internal cues are absent forgetting is more likely.

Question 43

What are the strengths of the retrieval failure explanation of forgetting?

Answer 43

- Range of research that shows retrieval failure due to absence of cues is that the context is an important cue when remembering information - the concept of context dependent cues and state dependent cues has real life applications (Cognitive interview)

Question 44

What are the weaknesses of the retrieval failure explanation of forgetting?

Answer 44

- Retrieval cues do not always work since our learning is related to a lot more than just cues, also many of the research studies focus on cues so lack ecological validity - difficult to test the encoding specificity principle as we don't know which cues are meaningful and how they are encoded