1. AREA OF STUDY 2 MEMORY UNIT 3 THE CONSCIOUS SELF

2. 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

3. THEORIES OF FORGETTING RETRIEVAL FAILURE THEORY 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)

4. THEORIES OF FORGETTING RETRIEVAL FAILURE THEORY 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

5. HOMEWORK LEARNING ACTIVITY 8.3 (pg.320)

6. THEORIES OF FORGETTING RETRIEVAL FAILURE THEORY – TIP OF THE TONGUE PHENOMENOM 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’

7. THEORIES OF FORGETTING RETRIEVAL FAILURE THEORY – TIP OF THE TONGUE PHENOMENOM 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

8. HOMEWORK LEARNING ACTIVITY 8.5 (pg.322)

9. THEORIES OF FORGETTING INTERFERENCE THEORY 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

10. THEORIES OF FORGETTING INTERFERENCE THEORY – RETROACTIVE INTERFERENCE WHEN NEW INFORMATION INTERFERES WITH THE ABILITY TO REMEMBER OLD INFORMATION (See Table 8.1 on pg.323)

11. THEORIES OF FORGETTING INTERFERENCE THEORY – PROACTIVE INTERFERENCE 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)

12. HOMEWORK LEARNING ACTIVITY 8.6 (pg.326) LEARNING ACTIVITY 8.7 (pg.327)

13. THEORIES OF FORGETTING MOTIVATED FORGETTING 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

14. THEORIES OF FORGETTING DECAY THEORY 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!!!

15. HOMEWORK LEARNING ACTIVITY 8.9 (pg.334)

16. CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 8 – TRUE OR FALSE QUIZ (pg.336) CHAPTER 8 – MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST (pg.337- 338) CHAPTER 8 – SHORT ANSWER TEST (pg.338-339)