Explanations for forgetting

What are the explanations for forgetting?

Interference

Retrieval failure

What is interference?

When a memory disrupts the recall of another memory, causing one or both memories to be distorted or forgotten

What are the 2 types of interference?

Proactive interfernce (PI)

Retroactive interfernce (RI)

Define proactive interference (PI)

When older memories disrupt the recall of newer memories

Define retroactive interference (RI)

When newer memories disrupt the recall of older memories

Give a study for interference

McGeoch and McDonald (1931)

Outline the procedure of McGeoch and McDonald’s study (1931)

6 groups of participants all had to learn the same list of 10 words until they could recall it with 100% accuracy

Each group was then given a new list of 10 words that had different levels of similarity to the original list (e.g. group 1 = synonyms, group 2 = antonyms...)

The participants were then asked to recall the original list of words

What were the findings of McGeoch and McDonald’s study (1931)?

Participants who had the most similar material (e.g. synonyms) had the worst recall

This suggests interference is strongest when the memories are similar

Why is interfernce strongest with similar material?

It could be due to PI since previously stored information makes new similar information more difficult to store

Alternatively, it could be due to RI since newly stored information makes it more difficult to recall older similar information

What is retrieval failure?

When a memory is available but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided

What are the 2 types of cue?

- Context dependent cues (e.g. weather, location, smells, sounds)

- State dependent cues (e.g. emotions, mood)

What is the encoding specificity principle?

Cues must be present at the time of coding and at the time of retrieval to avoid retrieval failure

Who proposed the encoding specificity principle and when?

Tulving (1983)

Give a study for context dependent retrieval failure

Godden and Baddeley (1975)

Outline the procedure of Godden and Baddeley’s study (1975)

Divers learnt a list of words either underwater or on land and then were asked to recall the words either underwater or on land

This created 4 conditions:

- Learn on land, recall on land

- Learn on land, recall underwater

- Learn underwater, recall underwater

- Learn underwater, recall on land

What were the findings of Godden and Baddeley’s study (1975)?

Accuracy of recall was 32% lower when the environment of learning differed from the environment of recalling

Give a study for state dependent retrieval failure

Carter and Cassaday (1998)

Outline the procedure of Carter and Cassaday’s study (1998)

Participants learnt a list of words either under the influence of an antihistamine drug or not and then were asked to recall the words either on the drug or not

This created 4 conditions:

- Learn on drug, recall on drug

- Learn on drug, recall not on drug

- Learn not on drug, recall not on drug

- Learn not on drug, recall on drug

What were the findings of Carter and Cassaday’s study (1998)?

Accuracy of recall was significantly worse when the state of learning differed from the state of recall