Download File - vce psychology 2014

UNIT 3
THE CONSCIOUS
SELF
A R E A O F STU DY 2
MEMORY
THEORIES OF
FORGETTING
WHY DOES FORGETTING
HAPPEN?
Forgetting may happen for any of the following
reasons:
• The right retrieval cue is not used
• There is interference from competing
material
• There is some underlying motivation to
not remember
• Memory fades through disuse over time
THEORIES OF
FORGETTING
R ET R IEVAL FAIL U R E T H EO RY
A RETRIEVAL CUE
=
any stimulus that assists the process of
locating and recovering information
stored in memory
RETRIEVAL FAILURE THEORY
We sometimes forget because we lack or fail to use the right cues
to retrieve information stored in LTM
Memories are always available and not forgotten
They are simply inaccessible because of an inappropriate or faulty cue
(Cue-Dependent Forgetting)
THEORIES OF
FORGETTING
R ET R IEVAL FAIL U R E T H EO RY
There are some limitations to retrieval failure theory:
Does not explain forgetting due to:
• Failure to access certain anxiety-laden memories
• Disrupted or lost memories as a consequence of brain trauma
• Memories interfering with one another
HOMEWORK
LEARNING ACTIVITY 8.3 (pg.320)
THEORIES OF
FORGETTING
R E T R IEVAL FAIL U R E T H E O RY – T IP O F T H E TO N G U E
PH EN O M EN OM
TIP OF THE TONGUE (TOT)
A STATE, OR ‘FEELING’, THAT OCCURS WHEN YOU ARE AWARE OF
KNOWING SOMETHING, AND CONFIDENT YOU WILL EVENTUALLY
REMEMBER IT, BUT YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO RETRIEVE IT FROM
MEMORY AT THAT TIME.
WHEN FINALLY REMEMBERED, IT SEEMS TO ‘POP’ OUT OF
MEMORY SUDDENLY
•We can usually remember certain features of the sought-after item in memory, but
not all the features (tell how many syllables it has, the letter it starts with etc.)
•We can usually eliminate words that are incorrect
•TOT involves a ‘partial retrieval process’
THEORIES OF
FORGETTING
R E T R IEVAL FAIL U R E T H E O RY – T IP O F T H E TO N G U E
PH EN O M EN OM
ROGER BROWN & DAVID McNEIL (1966)
• Gave participants dictionary definitions of uncommon objects and asked
for the name of the defined object
• The participants were usually able to recall some information about the
name, or recall a word related to the name
• Moments later it would pop into memory, indicating it was there all the
time but just could not be retrieved at that moment
• People are usually able to tell beforehand that they will be able to
eventually remember it
• Suggests that LTM is organised in a logical way that requires locations
where the memories are stored to be accessed
HOMEWORK
LEARNING ACTIVITY 8.5 (pg.322)
THEORIES OF
FORGETTING
IN T ER F ER EN C E T H EO RY
Proposes that forgetting in LTM occurs because other memories interfere with the
retrieval of what we are trying to recover, particularly if the memories are similar
The more similar the information, the more likely it is that interference will occur
If the learning of similar information occurs close in time, interference is more likely
RETROACTIVE INTERFERENCE
PROACTIVE INTERFERENCE
THEORIES OF
FORGETTING
IN T ER F ER EN C E T H EO RY – R ET R O AC T IVE
IN T ER F ER EN C E
WHEN NEW INFORMATION INTERFERES WITH THE ABILITY TO
REMEMBER OLD INFORMATION
(See Table 8.1 on pg.323)
THEORIES OF
FORGETTING
IN T E R F ER EN C E T H E O RY – PR O AC T IVE IN T ER F ER EN C E
INFORMATION LEARNED PREVIOUSLY CAN INTERFERE WITH OUR ABILITY TO
REMEMBER NEW INFORMATION
(SEE FIGURE 8.9 and 8.10 on pg.324 about research conducted on proactive interference)
HOMEWORK
LEARNING ACTIVITY 8.6 (pg.326)
LEARNING ACTIVITY 8.7 (pg.327)
THEORIES OF
FORGETTING
MO T IVAT ED F O R G ETT ING
DESCRIBES FORGETTING THAT ARISES FROM A STRONG MOTIVE OR DESIRE
TO FORGET, USUALLY BECAUSE THE EXPERIENCE IS TOO DISTURBING OR
UPSETTING TO REMEMBER
•REPRESSION:
involves unconsciously blocking a memory of an event or
experience from entering conscious awareness. This is a form of
self-protection or self defence from the anxiety or stress caused
by painful or unpleasant memories. Use of hypnosis to bring
these memories back to conscious awareness
•SUPRESSION:
involves being motivated to forget an event or experience by
making a deliberate conscious effort to keep it out of conscious
awareness. Research shows it is possible to suppress memories
(reduces activation of hippocampus). We can even changes the
tone and content of memories that we do retrieve
THEORIES OF
FORGETTING
D EC AY T H EO RY
FORGETTING OCCURS BECAUSE THE NEURAL
REPRESENTATION OF A MEMORY (CALLED A MEMORY
TRACE) FADES THROUGH DISUSE AS TIME PASSES,
UNLESS IT IS REACTIVATED BY BEING USED
OCCASIONALLY
•The passage of time may contribute to forgetting in sensory memory and STM
•Does not appear that the passage of time is a common cause of forgetting in LTM
•The ability to access memories is assisted by appropriate retrieval cues. If the
memory trace ‘decays’ then retrieval cues would have no effect on the retrieval of
information from LTM
BUT THEY DO!!!
HOMEWORK
LEARNING ACTIVITY 8.9 (pg.334)
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 8 – TRUE OR FALSE QUIZ (pg.336)
CHAPTER 8 – MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST (pg.337338)
CHAPTER 8 – SHORT ANSWER TEST (pg.338-339)