Causes of forgetting

• Before we learn about forgetting let us look at remembering forever!

• Hyperthymesia, also known as highly superior autobiographical

memory (HSAM), is a rare condition characterized by an extraordinary
ability to recall detailed autobiographical memories from one's past.
Individuals with hyperthymesia can often remember specific events,
dates, times, and even minute details of their personal experiences
with remarkable accuracy.
• Vivid autobiographical memory: People with hyperthymesia can recall events from their
past with vivid clarity, often describing them in great detail as if the events happened
recently.
• Specificity: Memories recalled by individuals with hyperthymesia are often specific,
including details such as dates, times, locations, weather conditions, and even what they
were wearing or eating at the time of the event.
• Unusual recall ability: Hyperthymestic individuals can remember events from their early
childhood and adolescence with as much clarity as events that occurred more recently.
This ability to recall past memories spans across their lifespan.
• Involuntary recall: Memories in hyperthymesia are often triggered involuntarily by
various cues, such as hearing a certain song, smelling a particular scent, or encountering
a familiar location.
• Normal cognitive functioning: Apart from their exceptional memory abilities, individuals
with hyperthymesia typically have normal cognitive functioning and do not exhibit any
other cognitive deficits.
Adaptive forgetting is the idea that being able to
suppress information that we no longer need makes it
easier to remember what we do need
The case of A. R. Luria’s (1968) famous mnemonist, Mr. S. (A
mnemonist is a memory expert or someone with exceptional memory
ability.) Mr. S. was a performing mnemonist, astonishing his audiences
with lists of numbers that he memorized in minutes. But Mr. S. found
that he was unable to forget the lists.
He also could not easily separate important memories from trivial ones,
and each time he looked at an object or read a word, images stimulated
by that object or word would flood his mind. He eventually invented a
way to “forget” things—by writing them on a piece of paper and then
burning the paper (Luria, 1968). The ability to forget seems necessary to
one’s sanity if the experience of Mr. S. is any indicator.
Encoding Failure
• Encoding Failure: Encoding failure occurs when information doesn't
get encoded into memory properly in the first place. This can happen
if attention isn't paid to the information, preventing it from moving
past sensory memory and into longer-term storage.
• For instance, even though people may see stop signs regularly, they
might not pay close attention to the details, leading to an encoding
failure.
1.Forgetting where you parked.
2.Misplacing everyday items like keys or wallet.
3.Forgetting people's names after a brief introduction.
4.Failing to recall details from a lecture due to distractions.
5.Forgetting appointments or commitments if not properly registered.
Memory Trace Decay Theory
• Memory Trace Decay Theory: Memory trace decay theory suggests
that forgetting occurs because the memory traces, or physical
changes in the brain associated with forming a memory, fade over
time if they're not used or reinforced. While this theory seems
straightforward for sensory and short-term memory, it's less clear for
long-term memory, as memories assumed to be forgotten can
sometimes be recalled.
• Phone numbers: If you memorize a friend's phone number but rarely use it because you
always call them from your saved contacts, over time, you might find it difficult to recall
the number. The memory trace associated with that phone number may decay due to
lack of use.
• Foreign language vocabulary: Suppose you learn a new language but don't practice it
regularly. Over time, you may forget certain vocabulary words because the memory
traces associated with those words fade away from lack of reinforcement.
• Directions to a rarely visited place: If you memorize directions to a location you rarely
visit and don't use a GPS or map, you might struggle to recall the exact route over time.
The memory trace of the directions may decay due to infrequent retrieval or use.
• Information learned for a test: After cramming for an exam and memorizing
information, if you don't revisit that material after the test, you may find it difficult to
recall specific details later on. The memory traces associated with the information may
decay over time without reinforcement.
• Musical instrument skills: If you learn to play a musical instrument but stop practicing
regularly, your proficiency may decline over time. The memory traces associated with the
motor skills and techniques required for playing the instrument may decay due to lack of
use and reinforcement.
Interference Theory
• Interference Theory: Interference theory proposes that forgetting
happens when other information interferes with the ability to retrieve
a memory. There are two types of interference:
• Proactive Interference: This occurs when older or previously learned
information interferes with the retrieval of new information. For
example, remembering an old password instead of a new one
because of the interference from the old memory.
• Retroactive Interference: This happens when newer information
interferes with the retrieval of older information. For instance, having
difficulty remembering an old password because of the interference
from a newer one.
• Moving from the United States to England: In this case, the person's
previous experience of driving on the right side of the road in the
United States might interfere with their ability to adapt to driving on
the left side in England. Proactive interference from the old driving
habits could impede the learning and retrieval of the new driving
rules.
• Using an old Amazon Fire TV® remote after using a newer Roku®
remote: Here, the person's familiarity with the newer Roku® remote
might interfere with their ability to use the old Amazon Fire TV®
remote. Retroactive interference from the more recent experience
with the Roku® remote might hinder the retrieval of how to use the
older remote.
• Moving from an iPhone® to an Android® system: When transitioning
from an iPhone® to an Android® system, the person's familiarity with
the iPhone® interface and functions might interfere with their ability
to learn and navigate the new Android® system. Proactive
interference from the previous experience with the iPhone® might
make it challenging to adapt to the different features and settings of
the Android® system.
More retroactive interference
examples
• Retroactive interference theory suggests that newly learned information
can interfere with the retrieval of older memories. Here are a few specific
examples:
• Learning a new language: Suppose you learned French in high school and
then started learning Spanish in college. Later, when trying to recall certain
French vocabulary words, you might find it challenging because the similar
Spanish words you've learned more recently interfere with the retrieval of
the French words.
• Changing passwords: If you frequently change your passwords for various
accounts, you might find it difficult to remember the old passwords,
especially if the new ones are similar. Each time you update a password,
the new information interferes with your ability to recall the old
passwords.
• Studying for exams: When studying for multiple exams in a short period, the
material from one subject might interfere with the recall of information from
another subject. For example, if you study history right before studying biology,
the history facts might interfere with your ability to recall biology concepts during
the exam.
• Learning similar concepts: Consider learning two different but similar concepts,
such as two different models of cars or two different theories in psychology. If
you learn about one concept in detail and then try to learn about the other
shortly afterward, the similarities between the two concepts could lead to
interference and difficulty in recalling specific details about either one.
• Updating software or technology skills: When you upgrade to a new version of
software or learn to use a new technology, it can sometimes interfere with your
ability to recall how to perform tasks in the older version or with the previous
technology. The new information can overwrite or interfere with the old
information, making it harder to retrieve.
More proactive interference
examples
• Learning new phone numbers: If you've had the same phone number for many
years and then get a new one, you might find it challenging to remember the new
number because the old one keeps coming to mind. The previously learned
phone number is interfering with the encoding or recall of the new number.
• Learning new keyboard shortcuts: If you've been using a particular set of
keyboard shortcuts for a software program and then switch to a different
program with its own set of shortcuts, you might inadvertently use the old
shortcuts instead of the new ones. The previously learned shortcuts interfere
with the acquisition or recall of the new ones.
• Studying for exams over time: If you study similar material for different exams
over a period of time, the information you learned for previous exams might
interfere with the learning of new material. For example, if you're studying
different historical periods for different exams, the information from earlier
periods might interfere with the encoding or recall of information about later
periods.