THEORIES OF
FORGETTING:
NONSENSE WORDS – SEE HOW MANY YOU
RECALL IMMEDIATELY, THEN IN 20 MINUTES
 1. BIC
 2. RAK
 3. KIB
 4. DOS
 5. FOK
 6. BAS
 7. RIF
 8. LIN
 9. SAN
 10. TIS
WHY DO WE FORGET?
 Why is it that we can effortlessly remember words to be able to
conduct conversation, yet find ourselves unable to recall all of the
quotes we need to use in an English examination?
 Why do we automatically remember how to turn on the shower taps to
the exact temperature each morning, yet need to concentrate when
using chopsticks for the first few times?
 Why can we remember some details of our childhood when other
memories appear to have been forgotten, only to come back to us
unexpectedly?
KEY KNOWLEDGE
 – forgetting curve as informed by the work of Hermann Ebbinghaus
 – retrieval failure theory including tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon
 – interference theory
 – motivated forgetting as informed by the work of Sigmund Freud
including repression and
suppression
 decay theory
– FORGETTING CURVE AS INFORMED BY THE
WORK OF HERMANN EBBINGHAUS
Youtube clip
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RETRIEVAL FAILURE THEORY INCLUDING
TIP-OF-THE-TONGUE PHENOMENON
HOW MANY NONSENSE SYLLABLES DID THE
CLASS REMEMBER?
 Immediate recall 86%
 10 minutes later 66%
RETRIEVAL FAILURE
Also known as cue dependent forgetting, retrieval failure
theory explains forgetting as an inability to retrieve material
due to an absence of the right cues or a failure to use them.
In other words, the memory trace is available but it is not accessible
without the relevant cue or prompt to assist in retrieving it from the
long-term memory.
RETRIEVAL FAILURE THEORY INCLUDING
TIP-OF-THE-TONGUE PHENOMENON
INTERFERENCE THEORY
Interference theory (also known as temporal confusability)
is an explanation of why a memory trace that is available
has become temporarily inaccessible. Interference refers to difficulties
in retrieving information from memory,
caused by other material learnt either previously, proactive
interference, or subsequently, retroactive interference. This
theory proposes that one set of information in the
memory competes with another set of information.
LEARNING PHRASES IN DUTCH
 How are you?
- Hoe gaat het?
 How old are you?
- Hoe alt ben jij?
 Two beers please
- Twee beertjes asjeblieft
 I love you
- Ik hou van jou
LEARNING PHRASES IN SPANISH
 How are you?
Como estas?
 How old are you?
?Cuantos anos?
 Two beers please.
Dos cervezas, por favor.
 I love you.
Te llamo
PRO ACTIVE
 Proactive interference is when previously learnt material inhibits our
ability to retrieve new material. The prefix ‘pro’ means ‘forward’, so
proactive interference s where older information moves forward to
interfere with our retrieval of more recently learnt similar information.
 For example, you might have studies Italian in Year 7 and then learnt
Spanish in Year 8. In a Spanish verbs test, your older knowledge of
Italian verbs might interfere with your ability to retrieve the correct
Spanish verbs.
RETROACTIVE INTERFERENCE
 Retroactive interference is when newly learnt material inhibits our
ability to retrieve previously learnt material. ‘Retro’ means
‘backwards’ so retroactive interference is where new information acts
to interfere with the retrieval of older information stored in memory.
 For example, in an Italian verbs test your more recent knowledge of
Spanish verbs might interfere with your ability to retrieve the correct
Italian verbs for the test.
MOTIVATED FORGETTING AS INFORMED BY
THE WORK OF SIGMUND FREUD INCLUDING
REPRESSION AND SUPPRESSION
suppression, which is a conscious refusal to access memories which
are available (e.g. ignoring the memory of an unpleasant activity such
as a visit to the dentist)
repression, where painful or distressing memories are unconsciously
pushed to an inaccessible part of the mind and the person is unaware
that these memories exist.
DECAY THEORY
Decay theory suggests that memory traces in the brain will fade over
time through lack of use and eventually become unavailable. This
theory suggests that forgetting is a physiological process and is based
on the idea that when a memory is laid down there is a physical or
chemical trace of the experience in the brain. This trace is believed to
‘fade’ as time passes, unless it is strengthened through repeated use.
For example, a person who has not seen a friend for many years might
not recall the name of that friend.
AVAILABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
 There is a distinction between the availability of the memory trace
and the accessibility of the memory trace. If material is no longer
stored in the long-term memory, then it is no longer available. If it is
simply difficult to retrieve but the memory trace still exists, then it is
not accessible but might be retrieved at some other time.
 Pseudoforgetting is where memory is thought to be
 forgotten but it was never encoded and stored in the fi rst
 place.
NOW WRITE THE
STRENGTHS AND
LIMITATIONS OF EACH
THEORY