Memory interference Flashcards
What is interference?
occurs when two pieces of information disrupt each other resulting in forgetting or distortion of memory
what is proactive interference
when an old memory interferes with a new one
what is retroactive interference
when a new memory interferes with an old one.
What is Mcgeogh and Mcdonald find
interference is worse when memories are similar
outline the study conducted by Mcgeogh and Mcdonald
studied retroactive interference by changing amount of similarity between two sets of material. pps learned list of words with 100% accuracy , then learned new list either synonyms, atonyms, unrelated words, consonants, numbers and a control group.
what were the findings of Mcgeogh and Mcdonald.
when asked to recall orginal list synonyms produced the worst recall , which shows interference is strongest when memories are similar.
why is interference strongest with similar memories
could be due to previously stored information makes new similar information more difficult to store or new information may overwrite previous similar memories because of the similarity
what is a study that supports interference occuring in the real world
Baddeley and Hitch asked rugby players to recall the names of teams they had played against during the season, players played for same time but number of intervening games varied due to injury. players who played most games had worse memory. Shows that interference occured due to the similarity of the memories being accessed, increases validity of theorey of interference as can operate in some real-world scenarios
What is a limitation of investigating interference using lab studies
lab studies are highly controlled and can be manipulated to create the perfect conditions for interference to occur (two similar memories) however this is relatively rare to occur in everyday life so forgetting may be better explained by retrieval failure (lack of cues)
what is another limitation of interference theorey
interference is temporary and can be overcome by cues, this is not predicted by the theorey.
what does retrieval failure theorey imply
people forget due to an absence of cues, these are associated with memories when they are first placed with memory.
what is the encoding specificity principle found by Tulving
states that a cue has to be both (1) present at encoding (2) present at retrieval if cues available at encoding and retrieval is different or one is abscent then forgetting will occur.
what are mnemonic techniques
cues encoded at learning in a meaningful way.
