Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

$Interference and Diffraction$ 02:18

Interference and Diffraction

Interference is a characteristic phenomenon exhibited by waves. When two electromagnetic waves interact with their peaks and troughs coinciding, a resulting wave with enhanced amplitude is produced. This is known as constructive interference. In this case, the two waves interacting are in phase with each other.

Sound Waves: Interference

Sound Waves: Interference

Sound waves can be modeled either as longitudinal waves, wherein the molecules of the medium oscillate around an equilibrium position, or as pressure waves. When two identical waves from the same source superimpose on each other, the combination of two crests or two troughs results in amplitude reinforcement known as constructive interference. If two identical waves, that are initially in phase, become out of phase because of different path lengths, the combination of crests with troughs...

Interference and Decay

Interference and Decay

Forgetting is a complex cognitive phenomenon influenced by several factors, among which interference and decay are particularly prominent. These processes explain why individuals often struggle to retrieve specific information from memory, leading to lapses in recall that can be observed in everyday situations.
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Does the Effect of Production Influence Memory for Background Context?

Experimental psychology·2024

Same author

How varying cue duration influences item-method directed forgetting: A novel selective retrieval interpretation.

Memory & cognition·2024

Same author

Recognition memory: The probe, the returned signal, and the decision.

Psychonomic bulletin & review·2023

Same author

A conceptual-perceptual distinctiveness processing account of the superior recognition memory of pictures over environmental sounds.

Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006)·2023

Same author

Using preexperimental familiarity to compare the ICE and cue-overload accounts of context-dependent memory in item recognition.

Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition·2022

Same author

Essays in honour of William E. Hockley: A Festschrift.

Canadian journal of experimental psychology = Revue canadienne de psychologie experimentale·2022

Same journal

Electroacupuncture alleviates neuroinflammation and promotes recovery of neurological functions after intracerebral hemorrhage by modulating α7nAChR/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Neuroreport·2026

Same journal

Non-cell-autonomous regulation of Bhlhb5 expression in cortical projection neurons by GABAergic interneuron development and position.

Neuroreport·2026

Same journal

C-C motif chemokine ligand 3 mediates inflammatory response via NLRP3 inflammasome and neuron damage after traumatic brain injury.

Neuroreport·2026

Same journal

Methyltransferase-like 14 alleviates neuronal ferroptosis in Alzheimer's disease by regulating the peroxiredoxin 6/apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 signaling pathway.

Neuroreport·2026

Same journal

Hand mental rotation reaction time reflects motor imagery strategy and predicts changes in finger dexterity after motor imagery.

Neuroreport·2026

Same journal

Functional exploration of metabotropic glycine receptors in cultured rat hippocampal slices.

Neuroreport·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Diffusion modeling of interference in vibrotactile working memory.

Tyler D Bancroft¹, William E Hockley, Philip Servos

¹Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

|January 14, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Irrelevant stimuli interfere with working memory by being encoded, not by overwriting stored information. Our computational model supports this encoding-interference hypothesis for sensory working memory.

More Related Videos

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Published on: May 23, 2019

Testing Tactile Masking between the Forearms

Testing Tactile Masking between the Forearms

Published on: February 10, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback

Published on: May 23, 2019

Testing Tactile Masking between the Forearms

Testing Tactile Masking between the Forearms

Published on: February 10, 2016

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Computational Modeling

Background:

Interference in working memory is a long-standing debate.
Previous research suggests irrelevant sensory input disrupts tactile working memory.
Recent theories propose interference via overwriting stored information, even when stimuli are ignored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the mechanism of interference in working memory.
To determine if interference arises from encoding irrelevant stimuli or overwriting existing information.
To computationally model empirical findings on working memory interference.

Main Methods:

Utilized a computational diffusion model.
Analyzed existing empirical data on working memory interference.
Compared encoding-interference vs. overwriting-interference models.

Main Results:

Empirical findings are best explained by the encoding of irrelevant sensory information.
The computational model supported the encoding-interference hypothesis.
Evidence against the overwriting-interference mechanism was found.

Conclusions:

Working memory interference primarily occurs through the encoding of irrelevant sensory information.
This encoding process disrupts the storage and retrieval of target information.
The findings align with theoretical proposals emphasizing encoding-based interference.