Explanations for Forgetting: Interference

Question 1

What is the fundamental premise of Interference Theory as an explanation for forgetting in LTM?

Answer 1

Forgetting occurs because memories disrupt or conflict with one another, leading to confusion or a loss of access rather than the memory being completely “deleted.” This is most likely to happen when the two sets of information are similar.

Question 2

Define Proactive Interference and provide a mnemonic/example.

Answer 2

PI occurs when older memories interfere with the ability to recall new information (“Pro = pushes forward”).

Example: Struggling to remember a new phone number because your old one keeps coming to mind.

Question 3

Define Retroactive Interference and provide a mnemonic/example.

Answer 3

RI occurs when newer information disrupts the recall of older memories (“Retro = goes back in time”).

Example: Calling your ex-partner by your new partner’s name.

Question 4

Outline the procedure and findings of McGeoch and McDonald (1931).

Answer 4

Procedure: Participants learned a list of 10 words until 100% accurate, then learned a second list of varying similarity (e.g., synonyms, numbers).

Findings: Recall was lowest when the second list was most similar—synonym recall dropped to 12%.

Conclusion: Similarity significantly increases the effects of interference.

Question 5

How does Baddeley and Hitch (1977) support interference theory over “decay” (time-based) theories?

Answer 5

They asked rugby players to recall teams they had played. Recall accuracy depended on the number of games played in between (interference), not the amount of time that had passed. This provides high ecological validity for the theory

Question 6

What are two major limitations of interference research?

Answer 6

Artificial Materials: Most lab studies use word lists, which lack mundane realism and may overestimate interference compared to more meaningful real-life memories (like faces or birthdays).

Short Time Intervals: Lab studies often have very short gaps (e.g., 20 minutes) between learning sessions, which doesn’t reflect how memory works over days or weeks in the real world.

Question 7

How did Tulving and Psotka (1971) challenge the idea that interference causes permanent forgetting?

Answer 7

They found that although recall declined with more lists (interference), it rose back to 70% when participants were given category cues. This suggests the information is still available in LTM but was temporarily inaccessible due to interference.