This document contains revision notes for interference as an explanation for forgetting for AQA A level psychology for the topic of memory in paper 1. All content follows the AQA specification.
Interference Theory
- Memories interfering with each other leads to forgetting (Baddeley).
Retroactive interference: Recent information hinders the recall of older information.
Proactive interference: Old information hinders the recall of new information.
McGeoch and McDonald: Words with the same meaning would be more prone to
interference than unrelated information.
Ps learnt list 1, then split into 6 groups, each had to a learn one of the six word lists:
1. Synonyms
2. Antonyms
3. Words unrelated to List 1
4. Nonsense syllables
5. Three-digit numbers
6. No new list
- Synonyms produced the worst recall - interference is strongest when memories are
similar.
- Ps whose second list was synonyms were significantly impaired, down to 12%.
- Ps whose second list was unrelated information produced less impairment.
- Interference was more likely to occur when material being remembered was similar.
STRENGTH: Evidence from Lab Studies
P: Evidence from lab studies.
E: Lab experiments carried out into explanations of forgetting (McGeoch and McDonald's).
J: Most of these studies show both types of interference are likely to be common ways we
forget information from LTM.
STRENGTH: Real Life Studies
P: Baddeley & Hitch wanted to find if interference was a better explanation for forgetting
than time elapsed.
E: Asked Rugby players to remember names of teams they played that season, week by
week. Results showed accurate recall did not depend on how long ago the matches were,
the number of games was more important.
J: Showed the effect of interference in an everyday situation.
LIMITATION: Artificial Materials
P: Stimulus materials were word lists.
E: Doesn't accurately represent the things we try to remember in everyday life i.e. faces.
J: Artificial tasks make interference more likely in the lab. Interference may not be as likely
an explanation for forgetting things in everyday life as it is in the lab.
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