PSYC 305 Forgetting Curve.pptx

Forgetting Curve Mariana V. C. Coutinho, PhD Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850 to 1909) Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850 to 1909)  He was a German Psychologist (January 24, 1850 – February 26, 1909) He is a pioneer in memory research. 04/30/2024 2 Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850 to 1909)  He was a German Psychologist (J...

Forgetting Curve Mariana V. C. Coutinho, PhD Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850 to 1909) Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850 to 1909)  He was a German Psychologist (January 24, 1850 – February 26, 1909) He is a pioneer in memory research. 04/30/2024 2 Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850 to 1909)  He was a German Psychologist (January 24, 1850 – February 26, 1909) He is a pioneer in memory research. Why? 04/30/2024 3 Hermann Ebbinghaus  He conducted some of the most important early experiments in memory from 1880 to1885. 04/30/2024 4 Hermann Ebbinghaus He conducted many experiments using him as the primary subject. 04/30/2024 6 Hermann Ebbinghaus The aim of one of his experiments was to know how much forgetting happens after different periods of time had elapsed since learning (immediately after, 20 minutes after, 1 day after and so forth) 04/30/2024 7 Forgetting Forgetting is a natural process that occurs when information is unable to be retrieved from memory. It is the inability to retrieve information from memory. 04/30/2024 8 Hermann Ebbinghaus’ Experiment 1. He presented himself with a list of nonsense syllabus. One syllabus at the time. DAX QEH LUH ZIF 04/30/2024 JOL REF TEY DAR SUW PIM KAV FIP XES NAR 9 Stimulus: Nonsense syllables Nonsense syllables also called CVC trigrams. ZIF 04/30/2024 10 Hermann Ebbinghaus’ Experiment 2. Then, he attempted to recall the syllabus after different periods of time had elapsed. He measured how many correct items he recalled. Immediately after 20 minutes after 1 hour after 1 day after … 04/30/2024 11 Hermann Ebbinghaus’ Experiment He demonstrated that the inability to retrieve information, or forgetting, follows a particular pattern. 04/30/2024 12 What is the pattern? 04/30/2024 13 What is the pattern? Do you have any idea how the results of the study look like? How much do you think we forget 20 minutes after studying? 04/30/2024 14 Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve Please recreate the forgetting curve here. 04/30/2024 15 Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve 40% forgotten 55% forgotten 04/30/2024 17 Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve Please describe the graph below: 40% forgotten 55% forgotten 04/30/2024 18 Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve  The forgetting curve demonstrates that a lot of information is forgotten rather quickly after study, but then the rate of loss slows as the length of time since study increases. 04/30/2024 19 Why do we forget? Decay proposal: Interference proposal: Lack of Consolidation: 04/30/2024 20 Why do we forget?  Early in the study of memory, researchers suggested that memories simply decay over time. Similar to how colors of pictures fade over time. 04/30/2024 21 Why do we forget?  Decay theory proposes that forgetting happens because memories fade away with the passage of time.  If memories are not revisited, they become weaker and fade away. 04/30/2024 22 Why do we forget?  However, the decay proposal does not describe the mechanisms by which information is lost from memory. 04/30/2024 23 Why do we forget? Interference proposal: forgetting happens because other information interfere with retrieval of target information. 04/30/2024 24 Why do we forget? Interference proposal: forgetting happens because other information interfere with retrieval of target information. For example, if you learned that the capital of Brazil is Brasilia, and then you learned that Sao Paulo … 04/30/2024 25 Interference Example For example, let’s say you learned that the capital of Brazil is Brasilia and later you learned that Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. Interference happens when you attempt to retrieve the capital of Brazil, but cannot because the knowledge of the largest city of Brazil, Sao Paulo, prevents retrieval. 04/30/2024 26 Interference Example In the example of Brazil, the participant has the target information stored in LTM, but cannot access it due to interference. 04/30/2024 27 Two Types of Interference Interference may be broken down into two types:  Retroactive  Proactive Interference Retroactive interference occurs when new information makes it difficult to recall previous (old) information. New information interfere with your ability to recall previous learned information.  You cannot recall your old phone number because the new one interferes with it. Interference Proactive interference is when something that you have already learned interferes with your ability to recall new information. Old information interferes with the recall of new information.  You are a Spanish speaker who wants to learn French. You cannot recall French words because of your knowledge of Spanish. Lack of Consolidation Another proposed caused of forgetting is lack of consolidation. What is consolidation? 04/30/2024 31 What is Consolidation?  “Consolidation refers to the idea that memories continue to strengthen after they have been formed, and that they thus become more resilient to forgetting over time” (Brown & Lewandowsky, nd) 04/30/2024 32 What is Consolidation?  Initially memory storage in LTM relies in the hippocampus.  Over time, memories are stored elsewhere in the cortical areas of the brain, allowing for more permanent storage. 04/30/2024 33 What is Consolidation?  Sleep is important in aiding consolidation (Stickgold, Hobson, Fosse, &Fosse, 2001). 04/30/2024 34 Why we forget?  In summary, research suggests that both interference and consolidation failure contribute to forgetting (Wixted,2010). 04/30/2024 35 Jill Price – The woman who does not forget Jill Price is one of the well studied cases of hyperthymesia, also known as highly superior autobiographical memory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoxsMMV538U 04/30/2024 36 Jill Price – The woman who does not forget https://www.npr.org/templates/story/st ory.php?storyId=90596530 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So xsMMV538U 04/30/2024 37 Suggested Readings Wixted, J. T. (2005). A theory about why we forget what we once knew. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(1), 6-9. Wixted, J. T., & Ebbesen, E. B. (1990). On the form of forgetting. Psychological Science, 2(6), 409-415. Wixted, J. T., & Ebbesen, E. B. (1997). Genuine power curves in forgetting: A quantitative analysis of individual subject forgetting functions. Memory & Cognition, 25(5), 731-739. 04/30/2024 38 Thank you! 04/30/2024 39