Lecture on Memory and Forgetting
Introduction
- Decay Theory (19th century)
- Proposed by Hermann Ebbinghaus
- Suggests forgetting occurs simply due to the passage of time
Beyond Decay Theory
- Memory fading over time is not the only explanation for forgetting
- Focus of Lecture: Interference as a reason for forgetting
Interference Theory
- General Idea: Forgetting occurs when two memories interfere with each other
- Types of Interference
- Proactive Interference
- Older memories interfere with new memories
- Example: Parking car in a new space and forgetting because of old habit
- Retroactive Interference
- New memories interfere with old memories
- Example: Learning new information that affects recall of previously learned information
Research on Interference
Laboratory Research
- Study by McGow and McDonald (1931)
- Participants learned a list of words until 100% accuracy
- Then learned a new list to test retroactive interference
- 6 different groups learned lists with varying similarity to original list
- Group 1: Synonyms (same meaning)
- Group 2: Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- Group 3: Unrelated words
- Group 4: Consonant syllables
- Group 5: Three-digit numbers
- Group 6: No new list (control group)
- Findings: Greatest forgetting occurred with similar material (synonyms)
- Criticism: Artificial tasks may lack ecological validity
Real-Life Study
- Study by Badly and Hitch with Rugby Players
- Aim: Test if interference can explain forgetting better than time passage
- Players recalled names of teams played during a season
- Findings: Number of games played, not passage of time, influenced recall
Overcoming Interference
- Research by Tolving and Soccer (1971)
- Participants given lists of categorized words
- Findings: Initial recall was high but worsened with each new list
- Introduced a cued recall test, providing category cues
- Result: Recall improved significantly, showing temporary memory loss can be overcome
Conclusion
- Interference theory provides insight into forgetting
- Real-world application suggests interference is a valid explanation
- Next Topic: Retrieval failure and the role of cues in memory recall
Note: For more practical advice on overcoming forgetting, refer to the video on retrieval failure.