Understanding Forgetting: Theories and Influence on Memory Recall

 
 
 
What is forgetting?
Ebbinghaus forgetting curve
Theories of forgetting
 Decay Theory
Theory of Interference
Retrieval Theory
Theory of Inhibition
Motivated Forgetting
 
Decay theory
 
Memories leave a trace in the brain.
 Any physical and chemical changes in the brain
results in a memory "trace."
Trace decay theory states that forgetting occurs as a
result of the automatic decay or fading of memory
trace, the events that happen between the formation
of a memory and the recall of the memory have no
impact on recall.
 Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885,
Ebbinghaus forgetting curve
 
 
Critical Evaluation
 
Not all memories follow the forgetting curve as there could
be various other factors in play, such as noise and other
environmental factors.
that it is difficult to demonstrate that time alone is
responsible for declines in recall.
what happened during the time is crucial (Jenkin and
Dalenbach, 924). A study by Minami and Dalenbch(1964)
on cockroaches
Why some memories fade quickly while others linger.
Memories of shocking events like 9/11 attack, Boston
bombing, etc are imprinted in our memory
 
Theory of Interference
 
Proactive interference
 
Retroactive interference
Example
Evaluation
 
Proactive Interference
 
 
Proactive interference
 (pro=forward) occurs when
you cannot learn a new task because of an old task that
had been learnt.
 where old memories disrupt new memories.
Learning a new phone number or locker combination
If you move into a new house
writing your old address
A native English speaker who is trying to learn French
Proactive interference is when older memories
interfere with the retrieval of newer memories.
Proactive interference can sometimes make it more
difficult to learn new things.
 
Retroactive interference
 
 Retroactive interference (retro=backward) occurs when
you forget a previously learnt task due to the learning of a
new task. where new memories disrupt/interfere with the
retrieval old memories.
This type of interference creates a backward effect, making
it more difficult to recall things that have been previously
learned
A musician might learn a new piece
A teacher learning the names of her new class of students
Recalling the information  learned shortly than the
material t learned earlier
 
 
Critical Evaluation
 
Interference theory tells us little about the cognitive
processes
Baddeley (1990) states that the tasks given to subjects
are too close to each other andthat does not happen in
real life
There is no doubt that interference plays a role in
forgetting, but how much forgetting can be attributed
to interference remains unclear (Anderson, 2000).
 
The Retrieval Failure Theory
 
Two of the basic reasons for this failure in memory
retrieval are related to encoding failures and lack of
retrieval cues.
Such information is said to be available (i.e. it is still
stored) but not accessible (i.e. it cannot be retrieved).
It cannot be accessed because the retrieval cues are not
present
This is known as Cue-Dependent Theory of Forgetting.
 
 
Retrieval cues can be:
External/contextual cues present in the environment,
setting, situation
Internal/state dependent cues referring to the internal
state of the individual
 
External/contextual cues
 
Evidence indicates that retrieval is more likely when
the context at encoding matches the context at
retrieval.
An experiment by 
Tulving and Pearlstone
(1966) 
asked participants to learn lists of words
belonging to different categories
Baddeley (1975)
 experiment on deep-sea divers
 
Internal/state dependent cues
 
Memory will be best when a person's physical or
psychological state is similar at encoding and
retrieval.
Mood state at learning and at retrieval is the same is
generally known as 
mood-state-dependent
memory
.
A study by 
Goodwin et al. (1969)
 investigated the
effect of alcohol on state-dependent retrieval.
Recalling the hiding place is easy when drunk than
when they were sober.
 
       Theory of Inhibition
 
Forgetting of information due to the inhibition
produced by the information we don’t try to remember
Brown(1968) recalling the names of 50 states of US.
Anderson and Spellman,1995
 
Motivated Forgetting
 
Motivated forgetting arises from strong motive or
desire to forget, usually because the experience is to
disturbing or upsetting to remember.
The motivated forgetting theory was invented by
Sigmund Freud.
The two types of motivated forgetting are repression
(unconsciously) and suppression (consciously).
 
 
Elimination of memories from the consciousness
What is too painful to remember, we simply choose to
forget.
Featured mainly in dramatic trials about early
childhood sexual abuse
Careful questioning, suggestive techiniques by trained
therapists.
 
 
Little scientific evidence to support the theory as most
evidence is based on case studies
 Therapists often suggest such memories in a subtle
and unintentional way
Being influenced by media reports, person suffering
from psychological problem conclude the cause as
early sexual abuse and repressed memories
People often generate false memories for events that
never happened(Goodman et al., 1996).
Study by Ceci,1995
 
Amnesia
 
Amnesia is a form of memory loss stemming from
illness, injury, drug abuse, or other causes. Some
people with amnesia have difficulty forming new
memories. Others can’t recall facts or past experiences.
People with amnesia usually retain knowledge of their
own identity, as well as motor skills.
 
Types
 
Retrograde amnesia
Loss of memory of events that occurred prior to an
amnesia-inducing event
Anterograde amnesia
 Inability to store information that occur after amnesia
inducing event. When you have anterograde amnesia, you
can’t form new memories.
Transient global amnesia
Infantile amnesia
Most people can’t remember the first three to five years of
life.
 
Causes of amnesia
 
Dementia
Anoxia
A depletion of oxygen levels can also affect your entire brain and lead to
memory loss.
Damage to the hippocampus
Your hippocampus is a part of the brain and limbic system responsible for
memory.
Head injuries
Traumatic head injuries, as well as stroke, tumors, and infections, can also
cause damage to your brain.
Alcohol use
Short-term alcohol use can cause blackout.
Trauma or stress
Severe trauma or stress can also cause dissociative amnesia.
Electroconvulsive therapy
 
Case study of S.P.
 
Case study of S.P.(Schnider,1994): An example of the
dissociation between working memory and Long-term
memory
S.P. , a 66 yr old suffered from stroke, affected medial
temporal lobe of 
hippocampus
Showed profound anterograde amnesia, could not
enter information to long term memory
Could recognize his family members, retained the
ability to acquire procedural memory
Hippocampus transforms the information from
working memory to more permanent store LTM
 
Case study of Clive Wearing
 
Case study of Clive Wearing: The temporal lobe and
semantic memory
C.W., A musician caught infectious encephalities
causing damage to frontal lobe and hippocampus
causing memory deficit which was recorded by wife
Deborah
Deficits involved semantic memory
 
Korsakoff’s Syndrome
 
Consumption of large amount of alcohol for many
years
Sensory motor problems, heart, liver, gastrointenstinal
damage
Both anterograde and severe retrograde amnesia
Extensive damage to thalamus and hypothalamus
 
Alzheimer’s Disease
 
Most tragic disorder during the closing decades of life
5% of the people over age 65 experience it
Statrts with mild memory problem, gradually they
become totally confused and unable to perform simple
tasks like dressing or grooming themselves
Later they fail to recognize their family members
Suffers from wide range of memory impairment-
WM,SM, EM, memory for skills, autobiographical
memory all get disturbed
 
 
Cause
 
The brain contains tangles of amyloid beta protein
which is not found in normal brain(low concentration
This damages the neurons that projects from the
neclei in the basal forebrain to hippocampus and
cerebral cortex
These neurons transmit information by means of the
neurotransmitter acetylcholine a substance that plays
key role in memory
A patients contains lower than normal amounts of
acetylcholine
 
 
THANK YOU
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Forgetting is a complex phenomenon influenced by theories such as Decay Theory, Interference Theory, and Motivated Forgetting. The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve highlights how memories fade over time. Decay Theory suggests memories decay over time, while Interference Theory explains how old and new memories can disrupt each other. Proactive interference occurs when old memories hinder new learning, while retroactive interference involves forgetting old information due to new learning. Critical evaluations suggest that various factors beyond time affect memory recall.


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  1. What is forgetting? Ebbinghaus forgetting curve Theories of forgetting Decay Theory Theory of Interference Retrieval Theory Theory of Inhibition Motivated Forgetting

  2. Decay theory Memories leave a trace in the brain. Any physical and chemical changes in the brain results in a memory "trace." Trace decay theory states that forgetting occurs as a result of the automatic decay or fading of memory trace, the events that happen between the formation of a memory and the recall of the memory have no impact on recall. Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885, Ebbinghaus forgetting curve

  3. Critical Evaluation Not all memories follow the forgetting curve as there could be various other factors in play, such as noise and other environmental factors. that it is difficult to demonstrate that time alone is responsible for declines in recall. what happened during the time is crucial (Jenkin and Dalenbach, 924). A study by Minami and Dalenbch(1964) on cockroaches Why some memories fade quickly while others linger. Memories of shocking events like 9/11 attack, Boston bombing, etc are imprinted in our memory

  4. Theory of Interference Proactive interference Retroactive interference Example Evaluation

  5. Proactive interference (pro=forward) occurs when Proactive Interference you cannot learn a new task because of an old task that had been learnt. where old memories disrupt new memories. Learning a new phone number or locker combination If you move into a new house writing your old address A native English speaker who is trying to learn French Proactive interference is when older memories interfere with the retrieval of newer memories. Proactive interference can sometimes make it more difficult to learn new things.

  6. Retroactive interference Retroactive interference (retro=backward) occurs when you forget a previously learnt task due to the learning of a new task. where new memories disrupt/interfere with the retrieval old memories. This type of interference creates a backward effect, making it more difficult to recall things that have been previously learned A musician might learn a new piece A teacher learning the names of her new class of students Recalling the information learned shortly than the material t learned earlier

  7. Critical Evaluation Interference theory tells us little about the cognitive processes Baddeley (1990) states that the tasks given to subjects are too close to each other andthatdoes not happen in real life There is no doubt that interference plays a role in forgetting, but how much forgetting can be attributed to interference remains unclear (Anderson, 2000).

  8. The Retrieval Failure Theory Two of the basic reasons for this failure in memory retrieval are related to encoding failures and lack of retrieval cues. Such information is said to be available (i.e. it is still stored) but not accessible (i.e. it cannot be retrieved). It cannot be accessed because the retrieval cues are not present This is known as Cue-Dependent Theory of Forgetting.

  9. Retrieval cues can be: External/contextual cues present in the environment, setting, situation Internal/state dependent cues referring to the internal state of the individual

  10. External/contextual cues Evidence indicates that retrieval is more likely when the context at encoding matches the context at retrieval. An experiment by Tulving and Pearlstone (1966) asked participants to learn lists of words belonging to different categories Baddeley (1975) experiment on deep-sea divers

  11. Internal/state dependent cues Memory will be best when a person's physical or psychological state is similar at encoding and retrieval. Mood state at learning and at retrieval is the same is generally known as mood-state-dependent memory. A study by Goodwin et al. (1969) investigated the effect of alcohol on state-dependent retrieval. Recalling the hiding place is easy when drunk than when they were sober.

  12. Theory of Inhibition Forgetting of information due to the inhibition produced by the information we don t try to remember Brown(1968) recalling the names of 50 states of US. Anderson and Spellman,1995

  13. Motivated Forgetting Motivated forgetting arises from strong motive or desire to forget, usually because the experience is to disturbing or upsetting to remember. The motivated forgetting theory was invented by Sigmund Freud. The two types of motivated forgetting are repression (unconsciously) and suppression (consciously).

  14. Elimination of memories from the consciousness What is too painful to remember, we simply choose to forget. Featured mainly in dramatic trials about early childhood sexual abuse Careful questioning, suggestive techiniques by trained therapists.

  15. Little scientific evidence to support the theory as most evidence is based on case studies Therapists often suggest such memories in a subtle and unintentional way Being influenced by media reports, person suffering from psychological problem conclude the cause as early sexual abuse and repressed memories People often generate false memories for events that never happened(Goodman et al., 1996). Study by Ceci,1995

  16. Amnesia Amnesia is a form of memory loss stemming from illness, injury, drug abuse, or other causes. Some people with amnesia have difficulty forming new memories. Others can t recall facts or past experiences. People with amnesia usually retain knowledge of their own identity, as well as motor skills.

  17. Types Retrograde amnesia Loss of memory of events that occurred prior to an amnesia-inducing event Anterogradeamnesia Inability to store information that occur after amnesia inducing event. When you have anterograde amnesia, you can t form new memories. Transient global amnesia Infantile amnesia Most people can t remember the first three to five years of life.

  18. Causes of amnesia Dementia Anoxia A depletion of oxygen levels can also affect your entire brain and lead to memory loss. Damage to the hippocampus Your hippocampus is a part of the brain and limbic system responsible for memory. Head injuries Traumatic head injuries, as well as stroke, tumors, and infections, can also cause damage to your brain. Alcohol use Short-term alcohol use can cause blackout. Trauma or stress Severe trauma or stress can also cause dissociative amnesia. Electroconvulsive therapy

  19. Case study of S.P. Case study of S.P.(Schnider,1994): An example of the dissociation between working memory and Long-term memory S.P. , a 66 yr old suffered from stroke, affected medial temporal lobe of hippocampus Showed profound anterograde amnesia, could not enter information to long term memory Could recognize his family members, retained the ability to acquire procedural memory Hippocampus transforms the information from working memory to more permanent store LTM

  20. Case study of Clive Wearing Case study of Clive Wearing: The temporal lobe and semantic memory C.W., A musician caught infectious encephalities causing damage to frontal lobe and hippocampus causing memory deficit which was recorded by wife Deborah Deficits involved semantic memory

  21. Korsakoffs Syndrome Consumption of large amount of alcohol for many years Sensory motor problems, heart, liver, gastrointenstinal damage Both anterograde and severe retrograde amnesia Extensive damage to thalamus and hypothalamus

  22. Alzheimers Disease Most tragic disorder during the closing decades of life 5% of the people over age 65 experience it Statrtswith mild memory problem, gradually they become totally confused and unable to perform simple tasks like dressing or grooming themselves Later they fail to recognize their family members Suffers from wide range of memory impairment- WM,SM, EM, memory for skills, autobiographical memory all get disturbed

  23. Cause The brain contains tangles of amyloid beta protein which is not found in normal brain(low concentration This damages the neurons that projects from the neclei in the basal forebrain to hippocampus and cerebral cortex These neurons transmit information by means of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine a substance that plays key role in memory A patients contains lower than normal amounts of acetylcholine

  24. THANK YOU

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