Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Place and Response Learning in the Open-field Tower Maze
Published on: October 28, 2015
On the course of forgetting in very long-term memory
1Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Diego, California 92161.
Abstract:
For practical reasons, little information is available about memory across very long learning-retention intervals. To determine the time course of forgetting in very long-term memory, a memory test was constructed that sampled events (former one-season television programs) that had occurred during a single year from 1 to 15 years ago. Updated versions of the test were administered each year for 9 consecutive years, and a forgetting curve was then calculated by superimposing the results from the nine tests. The best fitting function to the curve was monotonic and nonlinear. The findings show that forgetting in very long-term memory can be gradual and continuous for many years after learning.
Related Concept Videos
Forgetting
Encoding...
Interference and Decay
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Long-Term Memory
Long-term memory can be categorized into two primary types: explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory, also known as declarative memory, involves the conscious recollection of information that we deliberately try to remember, recall, and articulate. This type of memory encompasses specific facts, events, and...
System of Memory
Understanding Memory

