Forgetting : interference

How does interference link to forgetting?

it has been proposed as an explanation for forgetting in LTM.

What is interference?

when one memory disturbs the ability to recall another. This might result in forgetting or distorting one memory or even both. This is more likely to happen if the memories are similar

Name the two types of interference.

Name the two types of interference.

What is proactive interference?

forgetting occurs when older memories, already stored, disrupt the recall of newer memories

Give an example of PI.

Old phone number makes it harder to remember your new one

What is retroactive interference?

forgetting occurs when newer memories disrupt the recall of older memories already stored

Give an example of RI.

Learning a new class timetable makes you forget the old one

Who conducted research on the effects of similarity?

McGeoch & McDonald (1931)

What was the aim of McGeoch & McDonald’s study?

to investigate whether words with the same meanings (synonyms) would be more prone to interference than information that was unrelated (retroactive interference being investigated)

What was the method used in McGeoch & McDonald’s experiment?

ppts learned a list of 10 words until they could recall them with 100% accuracy. They were then given a new list of 10 words to learn. They were then asked to recall the original list. There were 6 groups of ppts that each had 2nd lists that varied in word similarity:

1. synonyms

2. antonyms

3. unrelated words

4. consonant syllables

5. 3 digit numbers

6. no new list (control group)

What were the results of McGeoch & McDonald’s study?

Group 1 (synonyms) did the worst and groups 5 and 6 (3 digit numbers and no new list) were the best

What was the conclusion of McGeoch & McDonald’s study?

the most similar material (synonyms) produced the worst recall. This shows that interference is strongest when the memories are similar.

A strength of the theory of interference is that the research into interference shows that interference explanations can apply to at least some everyday situations and so it has real life application. How is this a strength?

as the study shows that interference can operate in some real-world situations, increasing the validity of the theory

Give an example of this strength

for example, Baddeley and Hitch asked rugby players to recall the names of teams they has played against during a rugby season. The results showed that players who played the most games (most interference memory) had the poorest recall

How is the fact that the lab experiments that support interference did not really measure long term memory a weakness?

because the research it relies on is not necessarily measuring LTM as it intends to meaning it lacks internal validity and so it isn’t credible

Give an example of this weakness.

for instance, the lab experiments into interference are often over and done with within an hour. Ppts are asked to remember a list and then recall it just 20 minutes later

An advantage of the theory of interference is that thousands of experiments have been carried out into this explanation for forgetting. Many of these show that both types of interference are very likely to be common ways we forget information from LTM. How is this an advantage? (+counter/development)

because lab experiments control the effects of extraneous and confounding variables and thus give us the confidence that interference is a valid explanation for some forgetting. Additionally, the fact that there are thousands of flab experiments makes interference reliable.

C: however, it can be argued that using these lab experiments to support interference is invalid as a lab is an artificial setting and so it lacks ecological validity

Give an example of this advantage.

A key example of this is McGeoch & McDonald’s research into investigating whether words with the same meaning would be more prone to interference than information that is unrelated

How is the fact that the stimulus materials used in most of the lab studies that support interference are artificial and have no relevance to life events or daily experiences a limitation?

as the research lacks mundane realism as it is not a task that ppts are used to doing everyday

Give an example of this limitation

for instance McGeoch & McDonald made ppts learn a list of 10 words until they could recall them with 100% accuracy. These words were most likely meaningless to the ppts