Forgetting: Interference theory

Question 1

What are the two types of interference?

Answer 1

Retroactive and proactive.

Question 2

Underwood and Postman (1960), Method

Answer 2

• Lab experiment,
• Participants split into two groups, both groups given a list of paired words to learn, e.g. cat-tree,
• The experimental group was then given a second list of words to learn, where the first of the words was the same as in the first list, e.g. cat-dirt,
• The control group wasn’t given a second word list,
• Both groups were then tested on their recall on the first word list, being given the first word from each pair.

Question 3

Underwood and Postman (1960), findings and conclusions

Answer 3

• Recall was better in the control group,
• Suggests that retroactive interference of the second word list had affected recall for the experimental group.

Question 4

Underwood (1957), method, findings, and conclusions

Answer 4

• Looked into results of studies into forgetting over a 24-hour period,
• Found that if people had previously learnt 15 or more word lists during the same experiment, a day later their recall of the last word list was around 20%,
• If they hadn’t learnt any earlier lists, recall a day later was around 80%,
• Underwood concluded that proactive interference from the earlier lists had affected the participants ability to remember later ones.