Explanations For Forgetting: MEMORY

Question 1

what is the Interference theory

Answer 1

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

• only explains LTM forgetting
• memories still in LTM, just difficult to access
• Very likely two interfering memories stored at different times

Question 2

What are the 2 types of interference

Answer 2

Proactive, Retroactive

Question 3

What is proactive interference?

Answer 3

Old memory interferes with new memory

Question 4

what is Retroactive interference

Answer 4

new memory interferes with old memory

Question 5

McGeoch + Mcdonald (1931) Method
and 6 conditions

Answer 5

1) P.Ps asked to learn list of 10 words until they could remember them 100% accurately

2) Then asked to learn a new list of words
3) then asked to recall original list of words

3) there were 6 conditions in which P.Ps could be placed in > decided which 2nd list they had

conditions were .Synonyms .Antonyms .Unrelated adjectives .Nonsense syllables .Numbers .None

Question 6

McGeoch + Mcdonald (1931) Findings

Answer 6

• When PP recalled origonal list, their performance depended on which group they were in for 2nd list
• Synonyms produced worst recall > Showing that interference is stronger when the meaning of memories are similar

Question 7

What is retrieval failure ?

Answer 7

A form of forgetting.

Occurs when we do not have the necessary cues to access memory

Question 8

What did Tulving conclude about retrieval failure ?

Answer 8

cue has to be present at encoding and also at retrieval

Question 9

What is a Cue?

Answer 9

A ‘trigger’ of information which allows us to access a memory.

Cues may either be meaningful or indirectly linked by being encoded at time of encoding

Question 10

What are the two types of cues?

Answer 10

Context dependent Cues

State dependent Cues

Question 11

WHat is a context dependent cue?

Answer 11

Recall depends on an external cue

e.g: a place or the weather

Question 12

Who Studied context dependent cues ?

what did they find?

Answer 12

Godden + Baddely (1975)

The group that learned and recalled in the same context cues (on land or under water) had the best recall

Question 13

What are state dependent cues?

Answer 13

• Recall depends on internal cue
• can either be emotional or physical state
• e.g: Feeling sad, being drunk

Question 14

Who studies state dependent cues?

FINDINGS

Answer 14

Carter + Cassady (1998)

Groups who had same state dependent cues (On antihistamines or not on drug) on encoding and recall recalled most accurate