Interference Theory

Question 1

Define forgetting

Answer 1

Used to refer to a persons loss of ability to recall or recognise something that they have previously learned

Question 2

What is Interference Theory?

Answer 2

• Claims that forgetting occurs when two lots of information become confused in memory
• More likely to occur when two lots of information are similar to one another
• Interference is less likely to occur when there is a gap between the instances of learning

Question 3

What is Retroactive Interference?

Answer 3

When new learning affects the recall of old information

Question 4

What is Proactive Interference?

Answer 4

When old learning affects the recall of new information

Question 5

Strengths of Interference - proactive

Answer 5

• Participants who learned 10 lists of words could only recall 20% of words from the first list the next day
• PP’s who only learned one list of words recalled over 70% of words the next day
• This supports proactive interference

Question 6

Strengths of Interference - retroactive

Answer 6

• Gave pp’s lists of words they had to learn until they could recall with 100% accuracy
• pp’s then learned a new list, either synonyms or antonyms
• pp’s were then asked to remember the original list
• pp’s who had the list of synonyms had the worst recall, the two list of similar words had caused interference

Question 7

Strengths - practical application

Answer 7

students should be taught this to not revise similar topics at the same time as it makes interference more likely to occur

Question 8

Weaknesses

Answer 8

• Interference causes temporary memory loss, therefore it is not a true explanation of forgetting, information is not actually over-written and still remains in the LTM
• Some argue retrieval failure is a much better explanation of forgetting in everyday life
  
  • The theory states that we forget without retrieval cues to help us remember
  • Godden and Baddeley got divers to learn and recall lists on either dry land or underwater
  • Words learnt and recalled in the same context were better remembered as there were retrieval cues in the environment