Forgetting
Friday 6th October ‘23
Forgetting isn’t due to memory not existing but more to do with not being able to access/locate them correctly.
Interference - when one memory blocks another, causing one or both to be either distorted or forgotten.
Proactive - older memory interferes with newer memory.
Retroactive - newer memory interferes with older memory.
Retrieval failure - memory is available but not accessible without a certain cue.
Encoding specific principle - cue needs to be present at time of encoding and time of retrieval to be helpful e.g. mnemonics.
Context dependent forgetting - recall depends on an external cue e.g weather or place.
State dependent forgetting - recall depends on an internal cue e.g. feeling/emotions.
Greenberg + Underwood
Procedure: Participants were given a list of 10-word pairs to learn. Every 48 hours, they were given a new list.
Findings: the number of correctly recalled word pairs decreased with the more word pairs that had been learnt previously.
Suggestions: previously learnt word combinations caused confusion in the coding of the later word lists (proactive interference).
Schmidt
Procedure: Sent a questionnaire to 211 11-79 year olds which included the area around their old school without street names.
Findings: the more times an individual moved home, the fewer street names could be recalled.
Suggestions: Adding new street names to memory makes recalling old street names harder (retroactive interference).
Godden + Baddeley
Procedure: material was learnt either underwater or on land and recalled either underwater and on land.
Findings: recall was best with divers if they learnt in the same context as they were tested.
Suggestions: environmental cues promote recall,
Overton
Procedure: material was learnt either drunk or sober.
Findings: recall was best when in the same internal state.
Suggestions: internal cues promote recalls.
Friday 6th October ‘23
Forgetting isn’t due to memory not existing but more to do with not being able to access/locate them correctly.
Interference - when one memory blocks another, causing one or both to be either distorted or forgotten.
Proactive - older memory interferes with newer memory.
Retroactive - newer memory interferes with older memory.
Retrieval failure - memory is available but not accessible without a certain cue.
Encoding specific principle - cue needs to be present at time of encoding and time of retrieval to be helpful e.g. mnemonics.
Context dependent forgetting - recall depends on an external cue e.g weather or place.
State dependent forgetting - recall depends on an internal cue e.g. feeling/emotions.
Greenberg + Underwood
Procedure: Participants were given a list of 10-word pairs to learn. Every 48 hours, they were given a new list.
Findings: the number of correctly recalled word pairs decreased with the more word pairs that had been learnt previously.
Suggestions: previously learnt word combinations caused confusion in the coding of the later word lists (proactive interference).
Schmidt
Procedure: Sent a questionnaire to 211 11-79 year olds which included the area around their old school without street names.
Findings: the more times an individual moved home, the fewer street names could be recalled.
Suggestions: Adding new street names to memory makes recalling old street names harder (retroactive interference).
Godden + Baddeley
Procedure: material was learnt either underwater or on land and recalled either underwater and on land.
Findings: recall was best with divers if they learnt in the same context as they were tested.
Suggestions: environmental cues promote recall,
Overton
Procedure: material was learnt either drunk or sober.
Findings: recall was best when in the same internal state.
Suggestions: internal cues promote recalls.
