1. Term describing the blocking of learning and or recall by remembering conflicting material. Many sources, prior and subsequent learning, material presentation. 2. Mutual effect of 2 meeting light, sound or other wave forms.
What is interference in psychology?
A memory's encoding, storage, or retrieval can be negatively impacted by conflicting information, a process known as interference in cognitive psychology. Interference can cause information to be forgotten or misrepresented, which can impair a person's capacity to accurately recall and use the information when necessary. (Underwood, 1957).
Depending on the nature and timeliness of the conflicting information, interference can take many various forms. Proactive and retroactive interference are two types of interference that are frequently encountered.
When previously acquired knowledge obstructs the encoding or retrieval of new information, it is referred to as proactive interference. Proactive interference can occur, for instance, when someone tries to memorize a new phone number but keeps recalling their old one instead.
Retroactive interference, on the other hand, occurs when newly acquired information interferes with the retrieval of previously learned information. For instance, if someone learns a new password and then forgets their old password, this is an example of retroactive interference.
Interference can also occur between similar or related pieces of information, making it difficult to differentiate between them. This is known as similarity-based interference and can be especially problematic when trying to recall information that is similar in meaning or structure.
Importance
Understanding interference is crucial for gaining insights into the factors that influence memory performance and identifying strategies to reduce its effects. By minimizing interference, individuals can improve their memory retention and recall, which is essential for academic, professional, and everyday life.
Types of interference
There are two primary types of interference in psychology:
- Proactive interference: Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information interferes with the encoding or retrieval of new information For example, learning a new phone number can be challenging if you still remember your old phone number.
- Retroactive interference: Retroactive interference takes place when newly acquired information disrupts the recall of previously learned information An example would be learning a new language and finding it difficult to remember words from a previously learned language.
Examples
- Studying multiple subjects: If you study two similar subjects back-to-back, such as history and geography, you may experience interference, as the information from one subject may hinder your ability to encode or recall information from the other subject.
- Remembering names: When meeting new people, you might struggle to remember their names due to interference from other names you have previously learned or heard (Brown, 1968).
- Skill acquisition: Learning a new skill, such as playing a musical instrument or a sport, may result in interference if the new skill shares similarities with previously learned skills, leading to confusion or reduced performance (Shea & Zimny, 1983).
References
Brown, J. (1968). Reciprocal facilitation and impairment of recall. Psychological Review, 75(5), 447-460. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Reciprocal-facilitation-and-impairment-of-free-Brown/091dfb50ae48e77cf2d37fc95961710669b1efa2
Shea, J. B., & Zimny, S. T. (1983). Context effects in memory and learning movement information. In R. A. Magill (Ed.), Memory and control of action (pp. 345-366). North-Holland. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0166-4115(08)61998-6
Underwood, B. J. (1957). Interference and forgetting. Psychological Review, 64(1), 49-60. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0044616
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