2.7 Forgetting and Memory Challenges

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What is the forgetting curve?

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The forgetting curve, also called the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, is a graphical representation of the forgetting process. It demonstrates the declining rate at which information is lost if no effort is made to remember it. Defined in 1885 by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus.

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What is proactive interference?

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Proactive interference is the forward-acting disruptive effect of older learning on the recall of new information.

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What is retroactive interference?

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Retroactive interference is the backward-acting disruptive effect of newer learning on the recall of old information.

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What is encoding failure?

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Encoding failure refers to a situation in which information does not enter the brain’s long-term memory.

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What is the Tip-of-the-Tongue phenomenon?

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The Tip-of-the-Tongue phenomenon is the experience of attempting to retrieve a specific name or word from memory but not being able to do so. The name or word is usually eventually retrieved.

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What is repression in psychoanalytic theory?

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Repression is the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.

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What is source amnesia?

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Source amnesia is faulty memory for how, when, or where information was learned or imagined, often leading to misattributing information to a wrong source.

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What is the misinformation effect?

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The misinformation effect occurs when a memory has been corrupted by misleading information.

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What is constructive memory?

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Constructive memory involves using general knowledge stored in one’s memory to construct a more complete and detailed account of an event or experience by changing or filling in various features of the memory.

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What is imagination inflation?

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Imagination inflation occurs when individuals develop greater confidence in the truth of an event after imagining it, potentially leading to the formation of false memories. It often relates to childhood memories, which are more malleable and susceptible to misconceptions.