Memory – Explanations for Forgetting
Memory – Explanations for Forgetting
False Memory Syndrome:
The memory of an event which never happened
Loftus (1993) – planted memories of a lost child in a supermarket
Lack of consolidation:
Due to trauma, concussion, alcohol, drugs, short term memory fails to be processed into long term memory, and is hence forgotten
| Theory | Description | Evidence | Evaluation |
| Interference (mainly LTM) | Proactive – previous information interferes with what is currently being learnt
Retroactive – later learning disrupts memory of earlier learning |
Warr (1964)
Abel and Baum (2013) |
-support from lab studies
-good explanations of forgetting in LTM -studies lack ecological validity as they are mainly based on lab experiments -semantic / episodic memories are resistant to interference |
| Retrieval failure (information is available but cannot be remembered due to lack of cues) |
State dependant – internal, forgetting that occurs because recall occurs in a different internal setting to coding
Context dependent – external, forgetting that occurs because recall occurs in a different external setting to coding |
Godden and Baddeley (1975)
Darley et al (1973) – state dependent |
-lots of empirical evidence
-forgetting is greatest when context and state aren’t very similar -studies lack ecological validity as many are lab studies -studies have questionable ethics |
| Motivated forgetting | Suppression – deliberate and conscious forgetting
Repression – motivated forgetting WITHOUT conscious awareness Freud (1901) – supports suppression, against repression |
Williams (1994) repression | -questions concerning the ethics involved
-lots of evidence from clinical studies – written reports from psychiatric patients -participants must experience something traumatic to investigate – not possible in labs – also unethical -how do we know repressed memories are real? False memory syndrome? |
Research
Abel and Baum 2013
- Participants given a list of words – pairs to remember and a second list of similar word pairs
- Tested after 12 hours of sleep
- Found that: sleep reduced proactive interference and retroactive interference
Godden and Baddeley (1975) context dependent
- Aim: to see if cues from the environment affect recall
- Method: field experiment with deep-sea divers who learned lists on land and underwater. Recall tested in same or different context
- Results: learn and recall in the same context – 30% improvement in context
- Evaluation: extreme conditions do not really reflect memory in everyday life – lacks mundane realism
Warr (1964)
- New information interrupts old information
- 2 sets of words – each set had a list of words
- Recalled Set A words then Set B
- Had to recall Set A, but instead recalled Set B
- Retroactive interference occurred
Williams (1994) repression
- Aim: investigate repression
- Method: interviewed 129 women shown by hospital documents to have been abused between 10 months and 12 year. Interviewed later between 18-31 years
- Results: 38% had no memory of the event
- Conclusion: some participants had repressed the memory
Evaluation
- Lab studies – increases reliability, highly controlled conditions allow for cause and effect (S), lacks mundane realism & ecological validity (W)
- Lots of empirical evidence to support (S)
- Questionable ethics (W)
- Applicable to most the population – studies tested on humans (S)
- May not be applicable to people with brain damage or impaired memory (W)
- Studies may involve demand characteristics (W)
Exam Questions
- Q) describe and evaluate interference as an explanation for forgetting (16 marks)