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30 views4 pages

3 1 2forgetting

Uploaded by

Nayak Prem Kiran
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Forgetting

Forgetting occurs when we are unable to recall information that was


previously stored in memory. Forgetting can affect information stored
in the long-term, short-term or sensory memory systems.

Ebbinghaus was one of the first researchers to look at the


mechanisms of forgetting. Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve
theory describes that when we first develop a new memory, within
the first couple of days, details of the memory are easily forgotten.
After some time, the rate of forgetting levels off, allowing us to retain
some initially learned information.
Causes Of Forgetting

Interference In Forgetting

studies have indicated that learning new things interferes with our
memory of what we learned earlier and prior learning interferes
with our memory of things learned later.The theory of Interference
tells us that, information that one has to learn forms associations
with items already in our memory. Once these associations are
formed they remain independent without any contact. Interference
comes into play when the information stored has to be retrieved, as
the new information interfere with our retrieval of older
information and vice versa.

Types Of Interference
Interference is of the following two types:

Proactive interference: interference happens when newly acquired


information interferes with old memories. For example, a teacher
learning the names of her new class of students at the start of a school
year might find it more difficult to recall the names of the students in
her class last year. The new information interferes with the old
information.
Retroactive interference: occurs when previously learned
information makes it more difficult to form new memories. Learning
a new phone number or locker combination might be more difficult,
for example, because your memories of your old phone number and
combination interfere with the new information.

Retrieval Failure

Information in long term memory is not randomly stored, rather it’s


present in a organized and categorized manner. For example, name
of fruits, name of animals etc.

When you are given a random list of words: cat, bus, book, ant,
pencil, hut, wasp, gold and then asked to recall those words it
would be difficult but if you are provided with a category name
(such as tell me the name of animals in a list) it would be easier.
This category name act as retrieval cues.

Most of the time when we forget any information it’s because we


are looking for that information with an incorrect retrieval cue in
our long term memory. You may have also seen that sometimes
when we don’t seem to remember information when we are
actively looking for it, it may come to us at a later time when we
are engaged in a different activity. This is because the new activity
helps us to get exposed to look in our long term memory with a
different retrieval cue. Thus if we think we have forgotten
something it’s often good idea to give that up and involve yourself
in another activity so that a new retrieval cue is generated.

Motivated Forgetting

Motivated forgetting is a theoretical concept proposed by Freud.


According to which people forget anxiety provoking information
from long term memory. Freud defined the underlying principle of
motivated forgetting as:
The forgetting in all cases is proved to be founded on the motive of
displeasure.

Freud believed Repression to be a key reason for motivated


forgetting. Repression is a defense mechanism in which a person
totally forgets the anxiety provoking thoughts by pushing them into
unconscious. That possibly explains why people remember
pleasurable moments more. Unpleasant moments are anxiety
provoking.

Displacement

Displacement occurs when information stored in short-term memory


is forgotten and lost. This occurs due to the capacity limits of short-
term memory. We can only store 5-9 chunks of information in the
short-term memory store, any information beyond it will be either
displaced (forgotten) or transferred to long-term memory if
elaborately rehearsed.

Trace Decay theory

The theory of trace decay proposes that memories that are not
strengthened decay over time. Memories are imprinted in neural
pathways, which can be called memory engrams. Over time the
pathways which have not been active in a while become weaker. As
the pathway fades, it can become more difficult to access the memory,
or it may disappear completely. In contrast, pathways which are
strengthened by repetition become stronger, and the memory is easier
to access.This theory focuses on the impact of time on forgetting. The
more time passed between memory formation and retrieval, the
weaker the memory trace becomes. Therefore, the memory is likely to
be forgotten.

State-dependent forgetting

occurs due to the difference between your internal state at encoding


and retrieval.
For example, let's say you were feeling calm and relaxed when
learning the material, but at the time of being tested, you feel stressed
and anxious. This mismatch in your internal state might make it more
difficult for you to access the knowledge you have learned.

Natural Forgetting in Psychology

Learning is a dynamic process, and forgetting is a natural part of it.


Natural forgetting might be annoying at times, but it's generally
unproblematic. It can be considered a natural form of neuroplasticity,
a consequence of our brain rewiring and adapting to the environment.
As we discussed, this kind of natural forgetting can occur due to
decay, interference or lack of appropriate cues.

However, in some cases like Alzheimer's disease or amnesia,


forgetting can be a sign of pathology. These conditions are associated
with brain damage that impairs our long-term memory to a greater
extent than normal forgetting does.

Anterograde amnesia, a condition characterised by an inability to


form new memories, involves damage to the hippocampus.
Hippocampal damage is also seen in Alzheimer's diseases. However,
retrograde amnesia, which involves an inability to recall past events,
is often associated with frontal lobe damage.

Forgetting can be motivated. Unwanted memories can be forgotten by


either conscious or unconscious suppression.

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