What is interference?

• This is a way in which we forget information in long-term memory
• It is when one memory prevents the retrieval of another memory; it gets in the way
• It tends to occur more when the memories are similar in nature
• There are two types:?retroactive and proactive

Retroactive interference

• This is when a new memory interferes with an old memory
• Retro: Backward/the past-previous memory is lost due to the new memory
  • Example: You forget your old phone number as the new number has replaced it
  • Example: You forget how to drive a manual car as you have been driving an automatic for so long

Proactive interference

• This when an old memory interferes with you be able to recall a new memory
• Pro forward: You cannot move onto the new memory as the old one is still dominant
  • Example: You struggle to learn Spanish as you get muddled with previously learnt French vocabulary
  • Example: You struggle to learn your new phone number as you keep recalling your old number

What is the evidence for interference?

McGeoch and McDonald (1931)

• Participants were asked to learn a list of words
• Then the participants were placed in one of six groups
• One group had words very closely related to the original list (the experimental group)
• The other groups were given less similar words
• It was found that the experimental group had the worst recall of the original list
• All the other groups performed better as it was likely the memory for the original list had not been interfered with
• This demonstrates that similar material is more likely to suffer from interference than information or material that is dissimilar

Baddeley and Hitch (1977)

• Rugby players were asked to recall the names of all the teams they had played across one season
• It was found that those who had played the least matches had the greatest recall
• The players who had played every game were more likely to forget matches: The later games had interfered with a recall of the earlier matches

Evaluation of interference

• Most of the research into interference has been carried out in a lab so lacks ecological validity:
  • Baddeley?argues that in real life similar tasks are often spaced out so there is the time between them
  • Although?Baddeley’s?rugby study breaks that trend