PS2111 Memory Forgetting Lecture Notes PDF

Forgetting Memories Dr. Kathleen Kang [email protected] Memory consolidation and forgetting Davis & Zhong (2023) Types of forgetting Cue-dependent/context-dependent forgetting State-dependent forgetting Incidental forgetting: memory failures without the intention to forget oInterference-based fo...

Forgetting Memories Dr. Kathleen Kang [email protected] Memory consolidation and forgetting Davis & Zhong (2023) Types of forgetting Cue-dependent/context-dependent forgetting State-dependent forgetting Incidental forgetting: memory failures without the intention to forget oInterference-based forgetting oRetrieval-induced forgetting Motivated forgetting: intentional forgetting or/and forgetting triggered by motivations without conscious intention oDirected forgetting oRetrieval suppression Cue-dependent/context-dependent forgetting Godden & Baddeley, 1975; Figure taken from Baddeley et al. (2014) Encoding specificity principle: the more similar the retrieval cues are to the conditions during encoding, the more effective the cues will be But.. Context-dependent effects can also be reduced or increased (Smith and Vela, 2001) State-dependent forgetting Miles & Hardman (1998) Physiological state also gets encoded incidentally during the episodic experience Re-creation of that state at retrieval helps memory Interference-based forgetting Retroactive interference àTendency for more recently acquired information to impede the retrieval of similar older memories Interference-based forgetting Retroactive interference Barnes & Underwood (1959); Figure taken from Baddeley et al. (2014) Highly related second list impairs recall of first list With increasing amounts of training on second list, memory for list 2 improves but retention of first list worsens Learning new materials can substantially worsen memory of old materials Interference-based forgetting Proactive interference àTendency for earlier memories to disrupt the ability to retrieve more recent memories Interference-based forgetting Proactive interference Underwood (1957); Figure taken from Baddeley et al. (2014) When a prior list has been studied, people are more likely to forget items recently studied Retrieval-induced forgetting à Tendency for the retrieval of some target items which impairs the later ability to recall other items related to targets Retrieval practice: “fruit-or-” Anderson (2003); Figure taken from Baddeley et al. (2014) Retrieval practice enhances recall of practiced items (e.g., fruit-orange) but impairs related items à Remembering can cause forgetting à Could be due to associative blocking, associative unlearning, inhibition Properties of retrieval-induced forgetting Retrieval practice: “fruit-or-” Anderson (2003); Figure taken from Baddeley et al. (2014) Competing memory is inhibited by activation-reducing mechanisms Inhibition predicts that retrieval-induced forgetting generalizes to new cues (cue independence) Properties of retrieval-induced forgetting Anderson (2003); Figure taken from Baddeley et al. (2014) The need to overcome interference during retrieval triggers inhibition à Active retrieval on practiced items should be necessary to induce forgetting of competing memories à Replacing retrieval practice (“fruit-or-”) with chance to re-study “fruit-orange” should eliminate later forgetting of competing memories à Retrieval-specificity Properties of retrieval-induced forgetting Anderson (2003); Figure taken from Baddeley et al. (2014) Is it the retrieval attempt which leads to retrieval-induced forgetting? (Storm et al., 2006) à Impossible retrieval practice (“fruit-lu-”) à Retrieval-induced forgetting is induced by the struggle to extract a trace from memory in the face of interference (not strengthening of practiced items) à Strength independence Properties of retrieval-induced forgetting Anderson (2003); Figure taken from Baddeley et al. (2014) If inhibition overcomes interference from competing memories, then interference during retrieval practice should affect retrieval-induced forgetting (Anderson et al., 1994) Competing items of high-frequency (e.g., fruit-banana) or low-frequency (e.g., fruit-guava) Retrieval-induced forgetting for high-frequency competing items Interference dependence Properties of retrieval-induced forgetting Anderson (2003); Figure taken from Baddeley et al. (2014) Selective retrieval of facts or events places demands on attentional control processes If inhibition requires attention à retrieval-induced forgetting might be reduced if people are distracted during retrieval practice Properties of retrieval-induced forgetting Retrieval practice Concurrent attention-demanding task Participants in the divided attention showed less retrieval-induced forgetting Attention dependence Roman et al. (2009) Retrieval-induced forgetting In summary, retrieval-induced forgetting has the following properties: Generalize to novel test cues (Cue independence) Requires active retrieval from long-term memory (Retrieval specificity) Unaffected by strengthening an item (Strength independence) Stronger for high-frequency competitors (Interference dependence) Competitors only inhibited if attentional control suppresses distractors (attention dependence) Types of forgetting Cue-dependent/context-dependent forgetting State-dependent forgetting Incidental forgetting: memory failures without the intention to forget oInterference-based forgetting oRetrieval-induced forgetting Motivated forgetting: intentional forgetting or/and forgetting triggered by motivations without conscious intention oDirected forgetting oRetrieval suppression Directed forgetting Impairment in long-term memory caused by instructions to forget information Directed forgetting Item-method of directed forgetting : impairment on recall for to-be-forgotten words List-method of directed forgetting : when participants believe that they can forget the first list, they often perform better at recalling second list Retrieval suppression Anderson et al. (2004) Positive control effect: Respond > baseline (intentional retrieval) Negative control effect: Suppression < baseline (intentionally shutting down retrieval) Negative control effect = suppression-induced forgetting Anderson & Huddleston (2012) Amnesia AMNESIA: Loss of long-term memory Severe memory deficit following brain surgery, injury or disease Anterograde amnesia: Inability to form long-term memories for events that occurred AFTER brain surgery or trauma. Retrograde amnesia: Inability to remember events that happened BEFORE brain surgery or trauma. Old memories are missing. Amnesia Infantile amnesia: Tendency for people to have few autobiographical memories from an early age (