Memory: interference theory

Question 1

What is the interference theory?

Answer 1

-other memories that get in the way of you remembering something
-the similar material the more likely for interference

Question 2

What are the different types of interference?

Answer 2

-retroactive
-proactive

Question 3

What is retroactive interference?

Answer 3

-new memories that affect old

Question 4

What is proactive interference?

Answer 4

-old memories that effect new

Question 5

What supports this explanation?

Answer 5

-underwood:
.participants asked to memories words on a list recalled better from the earlier list (supports Proactive because the early lists made it hard to recall the later ones)
-Muller & Pilzecker
.p’s who were given a distraction task between learning a list of nonsense syllables and recalling them performed worse than those who did not complete a distraction task (supports Retroactive because the new information affected their ability to recall the syllables)

Question 6

What are some of the things that don’t support the explanation?

Answer 6

-research was artificial (lab setting)
.the studies tend to ask participants to learn lists of words/syllables in lab settings -doesn’t reflect real life memory eg -trying to remember important dates, A Level notes
-individual differences:
.Kane and Engle - participants with better working memory spans are less influences by proactive