Wikipedia:School and university projects/Psyc3330 w10/Group3: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:00, 9 March 2010

Revision as of 01:30, 10 March 2010

Line 1:

'''Decay theory''' proposes that [[memory]] fades due to the mere passage of time. [[Information]] is therefore less available for later retrieval as time passes and memory, as well as memory strength, wears away25. When we [[learn]] something new, a [[neurochemical]] “memory trace” is created. However, over time this trace slowly disintegrates. Actively [[memory rehearsal|rehearsing]] information is believed to be a major factor counteracting this temporal decline5. It is widely believed that [[neurons]] die off gradually as we age, yet some older memories can be stronger than most recent memories. Thus, decay theory mostly affects the [[short-term memory]] system, meaning that older memories (in [[long-term memory]]) are often more resistant to shocks or physical attacks on the [[brain]]. It is also thought that the passage of time alone cannot cause [[forgetting]], and that Decay Theory must also take into account some processes that occur as more time passes2.

The most famous classic study done in this field was the Ebbinghaus [[forgetting curve]] by [[H. Ebbinghaus]] (1885). This was one of the earliest studies done in the field of [[Psychology]]. H. Ebbinghaus used himself as subject. He invented nonsense syllables (e.g. BLF, MXW, ...), learned lists of them and then tested his memory after various time intervals. He found that forgetting was very quick just after learning (>50% in the first hour) and then leveled off. The graph of retention and forgetting is known as the Ebbinghaus curve7.

Another theory of forgetting in short-term memory, or STM, is the Displacement Theory which suggests that new memory traces displace or erase old ones.

==Inconsistencies==