THEORIES OF FORGETTING : LACK OF CONSOLIDATION
Memory also relies on biological processes – when we make a new
memory, out brain changes in some way.
Neural Connections
The human brain has roughly 100 billion neurons ( brain cells) , which
are designed to receive, process and transmit information. Similar to
other cells in the body, neurons have a nucleus and cytoplasm, but they
differ in that they also have distinct cellular extensions called axons
and dendrites.
Axons allow neurons to send information to neighboring cells.
Dendrites serve as cellular “antennae” for receiving signals from other
cells.
Brain cells are not joined to each other – there is a very small gap
between each cell called the synapse.
E.Day/Cog/Theories of forgetting/Lack of consolidation.
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ACTIVITY ; Follow this link for a demonstration of how the synapse
works.
http://www.cynnal.co.uk/cif/seicoleg/Animeiddiadau/Saesneg/synaps/s
ynaps.html
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers which pass across the
synapse and carry messages from one cell to another. Each neuron can
make over a thousand connections with neighboring cells.
Neurotransmitters can either inhibit (prevent) or stimulate
(encourage) the performance of the neurones. Consolidation theory
argues that this process of modifying and changing brain cells
(neurones) when you learn new information is called consolidation.
Recently formed memories that are still being consolidated are
especially vulnerable to interference and forgetting.
New memories may be vivid but fragile – easily forgotten whereas old
memories may be more vague but robust – they last a long time.
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Research Evidence : Drachman (1979)
Aim : to investigate how the process of consolidating a new memory can
be disrupted, increasing forgetting.
Method : a drug which blocked certain neurotransmitters was given to
the experimental group. The control group did not get the drug.
Participants had to learn a list of words and then recall them after 60
seconds.
Results : the control group remembered twice as many words as the
experimental group.
Conclusion: To consolidate a memory, certain neurotransmitters are
important. If this biological process is disrupted, this means that the
memory cannot be formed in the first place. (You cannot remember
what you did not put in to your memory!!!)
Other research Evidence :
 Jenkins and Dallenbach's (1924) classic study showed that there is
much less forgetting when participants sleep between learning and
test—this is explained as a reduction in disruption to the
consolidation process.
 More recent research by Gais et al ( 2006) also supports this
argument. Follow the link to Gais’s research. (But be warned – this is
a full research paper – it’s not written especially for AS students !!!).
 People who drink excessive alcohol sometimes suffer from "blackout"
– a failure to remember what happened when they were drunk. This
is probably due to a failure in consolidation because the alcohol
affected the neurotransmitters at the synapse.
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