Explanations for forgetting

Psychologists have propesed several explanations for why forgetting occurs. Two important explanations are interference and retrieval failure.

  1. Interference Theory

Interference happens when memories disrupt each other, making recall more difficult.

There are two main types:

a) Proactive Interference

Proactive interference occurs when older information interferes with remembering newer information.

Example: You keep typing your old password instead of your new one. The old memory disrupts recall of the new memory.


b) Retroactive Interference

Retreoactive interference occurs when newer information interferes with remembering older information.

Example: After learning a new phone number, you struggle to remember your old one. The new memory disrups recall of the old memory.


Research Support

John McGeoch and William McDonald found that participants learned lists of words less accurately when the lists were similar.

This suggests forgetting is more likely when memories overlap and interfere with one another.


  1. Retrieval Failure due to absence of cues

This explanation suggests forgetting occurs because the correct retrieval cues are missing.

A cue is a trigger that helps access a memory.

According to Encoding Specificity Principle, recall is better when cues present at encoding are also present at retrieval.

There are several types of cues.

a) Context-Dependent Forgetting

Recall depends on the external enviroment.

Research

Duncan Godden and Alan Baddeley studied deep-sea divers learning words:

  • underwater

  • on land

Recall was best when learning and recall occurred in the same environment

Example: Returning to a classroom may help you remember information learned there.


b) State-Dependant Forgetting

Recall depends on a person’s internal state, such as:

  • mood

  • emotions

  • physiological state

Example: A person who learned something while tired may remember it better when tired again.


Evaluation (A03 Points)

  1. Strong research support

A strength of the explanation is supporting evidence from researh studies.

Duncan Godden and Alan Baddeley found that deep-sea divers recalled words better when learning and recall took place in the same enviroment (underwater or on land).

This supports context-dependent forgetting and shows that matching cues improe recall.


  1. Real-world applications

The theory has practical uses in education and eyewitness testimony.

For example, students may improve recall by revising in an enviroment similar to the exam room.

Police may also use context reinstatement in cognitive interviews to help witnesses remember events.

This increases the usefulness of the explanation.


  1. Context effects may be weak

One limitation is that context effects are ofter small in everyday situations.

Research by Grant Smith found context only has a significant effect when the environments are very different.

Most real-life environments are not different enough to strongly affect recall.

This suggests retrieval failure may not explain much everyday forgetting.