Interference Theory Flashcards
(7 cards)
1
Q
What is interference?
A
- when 2 pieces of information disrupt each other resulting in forgetting one or both of the information
- mainly describes forgetting LTM
2
Q
What are types of interference?
A
- Proactive interference - when old memory interferes with new ones
- Retroactive interference - when new memory interferes with old ones
3
Q
What is the PORN acronym?
A
- proactive old retroactive new
- means that proactive is where old memories prevent new ones and retroactive is where new memories prevent old ones
4
Q
What is research on similarity in interference?
A
- McGeoch and McDonald (1931) tested interference by changing the amount of similarity between 2 sets of material
- Participants had to learn a list of 10 words until they could remember with 100% accuracy
- They then had to learn a new set of words either:
synonyms, antonyms, unrelated words, consonant syllables, 3 digit numbers, no new list
5
Q
What were the results of McGeoch and McDonald’s research?
A
- when participants were asked to recall original list of words, the most similar material produced worse recall
- shows that interference is strongest when memories are similar
6
Q
What are 2 strengths of the interference theory?
A
- Strength of evidence in everyday situations, Baddeley and Hitch asked rugby players to recall names of players from that season, players who played the most games had worse recall - validity
- Strength of research support from drug studies, Coenen (1997) gave participants a list of words and asked them to recall it and found that when drug was taken, recall after a week was worse - reliable
7
Q
What’s a limitation of the interference theory?
A
- Limitation that interference is temporary and can be overcome by cues, Tulving (1971) gave participants list of words in categories, recall started at 70% for first list but got worse, but in cued recall test results rose again - lacking validity as info hadn’t left LTM fully
