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Is retrieval-induced forgetting an inhibitory process?
1Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1117, USA. carrick@eyelab.msu.edu
The American Journal of Psychology
|October 20, 2001
Summary
Retrieval practice can impair memory recall for unpracticed items within a category. This study confirms retrieval-induced forgetting is replicable but questions the inhibitory account.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Research
Background:
- The retrieval practice paradigm demonstrates retrieval-induced forgetting.
- Practicing recalling some information can hinder recall of related information.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate memory performance within the retrieval practice paradigm.
- To determine the replicability of retrieval-induced forgetting.
- To evaluate the inhibitory account of this memory phenomenon.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted.
- Participants engaged in memory retrieval tasks.
- Memory recall for studied categories was assessed.
Main Results:
- The retrieval-induced forgetting effect was found to be replicable.
- Evidence supporting a purely inhibitory account was not consistently found.
Conclusions:
- Retrieval-induced forgetting is a robust effect.
- The underlying mechanisms may be more complex than inhibition alone.
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