Memory 6 Flashcards
know everything
What is the basic idea of the Interference theory of forgetting?
Forgetting occurs because recall of certain information interferes with recall of other information.
Explain retroactive interference (or retroactive inhibition).
New material imapedes the recall of material learned in the past.
Explain proactive interference (or proactive inhibition).
Material learned in the past impedes the learning of new material.
What are schemas (or schemae), and how are they related to recalling meaningful
material?
Schemas are mental frameworks that help organise and interpret information they interfere with recall of meaningful material.
What are primacy and recency effects, and how are they related to the serial position
curve?
The primacy effect is better recall of words at the beginning of a list (proactive interference) and recency effect is better recall of word at the ind of a list (retroactive interference), together they create a U shaped serial position curve.
How can the serial position curve be explained by the phenomena of proactive and
retroactive interference?
Proactive and retroactive interference can explain the serial position curve because earlier items suffer from retroactive interference (new items interfere with remembering old ones), while middle items suffer from both proactive (old items interfere with new ones) and retroactive interference, making them hardest to recall.
What is the basic idea of the Decay theory?
Information is forgotten because of gradual disappearance not displacement of the memory trace.
Why is it difficult to test hypotheses related to the Decay theory?
It is difficult to prevent participants form rehearsing without introducing interference.
What is the current state of knowledge regarding the role of interference and decay in
forgetting?
Decay has a small role in forgetting for STM, interference has been accounted from most of the forgetting (they both contribute but interference has a stronger effect)
