One question comes to our mind, and that is, why do we forget things or experiences.
In order to answer this question, there are several possible explanations of what is involved in forgetting. Each of these might have important instructional implications.
In order to answer this question, there are several possible explanations of what is involved in forgetting. Each of these might have important instructional implications.
Theories of Forgetting |
Fading:
Fading
theory holds that material not brought to mind frequently enough (not used)
tends to fade from memory.
What is forgetting?
It is the cessation of a response as a
function of the passage of time, not to be confused with extinction.
What is fading theory?
The belief that the inability to recall
long-term memories increases with the passage of time as memory traces face. It
is also known as decay theory.
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Many psychologists
do not consider fading theory (also called decay theory) very useful or
informative. They argue that time, by itself, does not cause forgetting any
more than it causes metal to rust or mountains to erode.
Theory of Decay |
Educational Implication:
If students
forget information because of disuse, teachers can provide repetition and
review to remind them of important items.
Distortion:
Memories
that don’t entirely fade are often distorted or confused with other memories. As
a result, when a person tries to recall the experience, only fragments of the
episode is available, and it becomes impossible to remember how and when the
fragments were acquired.
Educational Implications:
One way
for teachers to help counter this distortion is to emphasize the most important
and distinct (the most memorable) aspects of a situation. Features that are
highly distinct will be more easily and more accurately remembered.
Repression:
There is
some evidence that people may forget events that are particularly unpleasant. One
explanation for repression is Freud’s belief that unpleasant memories filter
into the subconscious mind, where the individual is not aware of them even though
they may continue to have a profound effect on the person’s emotional life.
Educational Implication:
Repression
theory holds that memories of highly unpleasant (traumatic) events may be
unconsciously repressed. Ideally, schools and teachers seldom provide students
with experiences so horrendous that they end up being buried in an unconscious
place.
What is distortion?
It is one explanation for memory loss. It describes
a process where the features of an experience are insufficiently bound
together so that the person recollecting the experience cannot easily tell
what happened when.
What is repression?
It is a Freudian term for the process by which
intensely negative or frightening experiences are lost from conscious memory.
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Retroactive and Proactive Inhibition:
A highly
researched theory of forgetting, and one with direct relevance for teachers,
states that interference from previous or subsequent learning is an important
cause of forgetting.
When previous
learning interferes with current recall, proactive inhibition is said to occur;
retroactive inhibition takes place when subsequent learning interferes with the
recall of previous learning.
For example,
teachers often have difficulty remembering the names of new students,
especially if they have been teaching for a long time and have known many
students with similar names. They confuse old names with new but similar faces.
Their old learning interferes with learning something new—hence, proactive inhibition.
Once the
teachers have learned the names of all their current students, they sometimes
find it difficult to remember the names of students from years past. Now newer
learning interferes with the recall of old information—hence, retroactive inhibition.
What is proactive inhibition?
It is the interference of earlier learning
with the retention of subsequent learning.
What is retroactive inhibition?
It is the interference with the retention of
previously learned material by subsequently learned material.
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Educational Implication:
Among the
most important suggestions for countering the effects of interference and
increasing the ability to recall information are those involving teaching for
transfer (also termed generalization). Transfer (or generalization) refers to
the effects of old learning on new learning; transfer can be either positive or
negative.