Memory AO1

Question 1

Interference theory

Answer 1

Forgetting because one memory blocks another, causing one or both memories to be distorted or forgotten

Question 2

Proactive interference

Answer 2

• Forgetting occurs when older memories disrupt the recall of the newer memories
• Degree of forgetting is greater when memories are similar

Question 3

Retroactive interference

Answer 3

• Forgetting occurs when newer memories disrupt the recall of older memories that are already stored
• Degree of forgetting is greater when memories are similar

Question 4

Study into retroactive interference (McGeoch and McDonald)

Answer 4

• Participants had to learn a list of 10 words until 100% accuracy + then given another list of words in which there were 6 conditions
• FINDINGS: Recall of the original list was dependent on the nature of the second list –> Group 1 w/ synonyms had to worst recall

Question 5

Retrieval Failure Theory

Answer 5

• A form of forgetting
• Occurs when we don’t have the necessary cues to access memory
• The memory is available but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided

Question 6

Cue

Answer 6

• A trigger of information
• Such cues can be meaningful or be indirectly linked by being encoded at the time of learning

Question 7

Encoding specificity principle

Answer 7

• Recall of information is best when there is an overlap between the information available at the time of retrieval and the information in the memory trace

Question 8

Context dependent forgetting

Answer 8

• A form of forgetting where recall occurs in a different external setting to coding e.g. temperature

Question 8

State dependent forgetting

Answer 8

A form of forgetting where recall occurs in a different internal setting to coding e.g. mood state

Question 8

Study into context-dependent forgetting: Godden and Baddeley

Answer 8

• Divers learned a list of words either underwater or on land and then were asked to recall underwater or on land
• Where learning and recall conditions matched, recall was 40% higher than the non-matching conditions
• External cues available at learning help to trigger memories if they’re also there at recall

Question 8

Study into state-dependent forgetting: Carter and Cassaday

Answer 8

• Antihistamine drugs were given to participants which made people feel drowsy + had to learn a list of words + passages of prose and then recall the info, when either under influence or in a normal state
• Where there was a mismatch between internal state at learning + recall, performance was worse
• Internal cues available at learning help to trigger memories if also present at recall