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Proactive Interference Theory Of Forgetting

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Forgetting is something that occurs in daily basis in our lives. Whether it is something we did yesterday or an episode from our childhood, we don’t always remember everything. But why do we actually forget? In simple terms, forgetting is said to be the inability to remember something. In psychology, (Pam, 2013) forgetting is defined as the loss of ability to recognize or recall something that should be remembered. Forgetting could occur in two stages of our memory, the long term memory and the short term memory. Generally, forgetting can be subcategorized into three categories, the case of trace decay in short term memory, the case of interference in long term memory and the cue dependence theory of forgetting. (Refer to Figure 1 in Appendix …show more content…

The interference theory proposes that forgetting occurs because memories interfere and rattle one another. In other words forgetting happens due to the interference from other memories (McLeod, 2008). Information in long term memory interfere with another data in the process of remembering. The two types of interference that occurs are proactive interference and retroactive interference. Proactive interference occurs when old information or memories disrupt the new memories. This interference is in the reverse direction to the retroactive interference. For example, when we try to recall a new phone number, the old phone number could proactively interfere during the process of recalling the new phone number. It would make it more difficult to remember the new phone number as our memories are focused on the old phone number. Retroactive interference occurs when the old memories are being disrupts by the current memories. Retroactive interference refers to the disrupting effect that learning new materials has on the ability to recall previously learnt information. For instance, when a student is studying and doing revision for exam, they tend to forget the previously learnt knowledge in order to store the new knowledge obtained. A person will be able to recall or remember more of what he or she has studied recently compared to the topic that was studied earlier. (McLeod, 2008) stated that students who study same …show more content…

(Howes, 2007) the cue dependant theory of forgetting says, forgetting occurs due to the insufficient retrieval cues to assist in retrieving memories. “Cues are any representation that is present in awareness, a thought, an idea, perceptual images, an emotion or even physiological condition”. (Howes, 2007, p. 114). Generally, cues serve as a linkage between the information perceived and available in the short term memory and the information stored in the long term memory. In most cases, cues make contact with the long term memory in matching basis. For example, if food is the cue presented in the short term memory, materials that are related or associated with food stored in the long term memory will be accessed. The absence of cues causes the process of retrieving information stored in the long term memory to be delayed or unsuccessful. However, not all content in awareness generates memory retrieval. According to present hypothesis, when a stimuli that is of no interest to a person is presented, low levels of activations occur, causing information to be accessed but not retrieved (Kintsch as cited by Howes, 2007). Kintsch stated, these information are often overridden by stronger levels of activation that corresponds to the stimuli that is in the person’s interest. For example, when a person is sitting in their lecture hall, most of the stimuli presented that are insignificant to the subject

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This paper is on the article “Clues Hint at 2 Brain’s Memory Maps” by Sandra Blakeslee. It was issued by the New York Times on February 15th, of 1985. This piece explores amnesia and the effects it had on different types of memory. It uses various empirical evidence such as small case studies and experiments.

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We can forget information through decay which is the when memories fade away that happens in sensory and short-term memory. Interference can cause us to forget because it is a memory blocking or deleting another memory. Two types of interference are retroactive and proactive interference. Retroactive interference is when new information interferes with the old information. Proactive interference is when old information interferes with the new information.

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Moreover, “a behavioural syndrome results showing not only semantic-memory impairment but also particular difficulty remembering past events as personal happenings” (Tulving, 1989). Lastly, in Endel Tulving’s conclusion to his article he states “traditionally held views about the unity of memory are no longer tenable. A more appropriate view seems to be that of multiple memory systems. Remembering one’s past is a different, perhaps more advanced, achievement of the brain than simply knowing about it” ( Tulving,

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This could distort memories or allow false information to be injected into the memory, creating a false memory. An example of this would be like the “Telephone Game”, as one person says it to another it may change and continue to

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If information stored in the short-term memory is not learned and given attention, it will decay over time (Schunk 2012, p. 183). The short-term memory has a small capacity, and large amounts of information cannot all be stored (Schunk 2012, p. 183). To make it esier, information can be shortened or broken up to fit it in the short-term memory (Schunk 2012, p. 183). Information that is used will be transferred into the long-term store/ long-term memory (Schunk 2012, p. 183). There are different strategies to strengthen the memory of information from short-term to long-term.

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