Psychology Memory and Forgetting

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Questions and Answers

What does decay theory suggest about memory over time?

Memories become more vivid with time.

Memories are always retained indefinitely.

Memories are enhanced through rehearsal.

Memories fade away as time passes. (correct)

What experimental paradigm was associated with decay theory?

Cued recall experiment.

Recognition memory task.

Brown-Peterson paradigm. (correct)

Free recall testing.

According to interference theory, what causes forgetting?

The passage of time.

Competition from other mental activities. (correct)

The material's emotional impact.

The quality of sleep after learning.

Why does interference theory argue that we forget information over time?

There is increased mental activity competing for attention. Signup and view all the answers

What role does rehearsal play according to decay theory?

It helps maintain memories actively for retrieval. Signup and view all the answers

How does interference theory explain the difficulty of recalling certain associations?

Greater associations lead to increased competition among memories. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'associative strength' refer to in the context of memory retrieval?

The robustness of a connection between learned items. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the key findings from Ebbinghaus's experiments regarding memory retention?

Repetitions are more effective when spaced out over time. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between decay theory and interference theory?

Decay theory emphasizes time, whereas interference theory centers on mental activity. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the forgetting curve?

Memory retention declines rapidly and then levels off. Signup and view all the answers

What is described as the effect of studying longer lists in comparison to shorter lists?

Shorter lists lead to higher retention than longer lists. Signup and view all the answers

What is one reason why a memory might not be retrieved successfully?

Inability to locate the memory at retrieval. Signup and view all the answers

What does the law of practice suggest about performance improvement?

Performance improves as a logarithmic function of practice. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of Ebbinghaus's use of non-meaningful stimuli in his experiments?

It controlled for variations in meaning that could affect memory. Signup and view all the answers

According to the Yerkes-Dodson law, how does arousal affect performance?

Performance is optimized at a moderate level of arousal. Signup and view all the answers

What does the spacing effect suggest about practice and repetition?

Spacing repetitions over time leads to better retention. Signup and view all the answers

What does inhibition theory uniquely predict regarding retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF)?

Strong competitors during retrieval practice should be suppressed. Signup and view all the answers

According to the inhibition theory, which type of competitor shows the highest retrieval-induced forgetting effects?

Strong RP exemplars. Signup and view all the answers

What is the expected effect on weak competitors during retrieval practice according to inhibition theory?

They will require less suppression. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of forgetting in interference theory?

It is based on the number of associations to a cue. Signup and view all the answers

How are strong RP exemplars affected during retrieval practice according to inhibition theory?

They require suppression due to strong associations. Signup and view all the answers

What does a zero value on the y-axis indicate in the context of RIF?

There is no difference between NRP and RP- items. Signup and view all the answers

What happens when a strong association, such as ORANGE, is suppressed according to the content provided?

It makes it easier to recall a different target, like BANANA. Signup and view all the answers

What prediction does inhibition theory make about retrieval practice on weak RP exemplars?

They should show almost no effects from RIF. Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant limitation of current experiments on memory formation?

They provide only a brief snapshot of memory mechanisms. Signup and view all the answers

Which theory focuses on the mechanisms that predict memory performance under specific conditions?

Interference theory Signup and view all the answers

What is a common method for testing inhibition theory?

Remembering effects (RIF) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the current state of computational modeling of memory?

It is still in its infancy and lacks robust modeling. Signup and view all the answers

What implication does understanding forgetting functions have for psychological theories?

They provide insights into different theories of forgetting. Signup and view all the answers

What does the cue-independence assumption of inhibition theory suggest?

Suppressed items are harder to remember regardless of the cue. Signup and view all the answers

Which experiment confirmed the cue-independence assumption?

Anderson and Spellman's test with categories and cues. Signup and view all the answers

According to inhibition theory, when does retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) occur?

Only when there is strong competition at retrieval. Signup and view all the answers

What did Anderson, Bjork, and Bjork's (2000) research imply about restudying?

Restudying does not induce retrieval-induced forgetting. Signup and view all the answers

What is the current consensus among researchers regarding the causes of forgetting?

Interference is acknowledged but its exact role remains unclear. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements aligns with Raaijmakers and Jakab's (2012) review?

There have been replication failures for interference dependence. Signup and view all the answers

How does inhibition theory differ from decay theory in explaining forgetting?

Inhibition theory emphasizes interference at retrieval. Signup and view all the answers

Why have the causes of forgetting not been completely resolved according to recent studies?

Identifying the roles of various factors is highly complex. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Memory and Forgetting

Hermann Ebbinghaus was the first experimental psychologist to study memory.
Ebbinghaus used lists of non-sense trigrams to examine memory.
Spacing effects: spaced repetitions are more effective than massed repetitions.
List length effects: longer lists are more challenging to remember than shorter lists.
Forgetting curve: memory declines over time.

Theories of Forgetting

Decay theory: memory fades over time.
- The Brown-Peterson paradigm suggests memory fades within 20 seconds without rehearsal.
Interference theory: forgetting occurs because of competition between memories.
- Greater competition in memory as we learn more.
- Memories are formed as associations and multiple associations can make recall challenging.
Consolidation theory: memories are strengthened over time, but new memories are fragile.
- Retrieval induced forgetting: a paradigm supporting inhibition theory.
Inhibition theory: stronger associations suppress weaker associations during retrieval.
- Retrieval induced forgetting (RIF): retrieving some information hinders recalling related information.

Inhibition Theory Controversy

Cue Independence of Inhibition Theory: suggests that once an item is inhibited it is harder to remember regardless of the cue.
- Retrieval Dependence Assumption: the competition present at retrieval time is necessary for inhibited memory.
- The theories remain controversial due to limited research and data.

Current Research on Forgetting

Interference is generally accepted as a cause of forgetting.
Researchers are still exploring the specific roles of decay, consolidation, and inhibition.
- Computational models play a role in analyzing memory mechanisms.

Learning Outcomes

Understand different theories of forgetting.
Explain the evidence for each theory.
Understand the critical predictions of inhibition theory.
Understand the strengths and weaknesses of different forgetting functions.

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Description

Explore the fascinating concepts of memory and forgetting as outlined by Hermann Ebbinghaus. This quiz covers key theories including decay, interference, and consolidation, along with the effects of list length and spacing on recall. Test your knowledge on how memories fade and the different models explaining this phenomenon.