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

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or...

Working Memory

Working Memory

Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this...

Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory

Chunking and Rehearsal in Sensory Memory

Improving short-term memory can be achieved through techniques like chunking and rehearsal. Chunking involves organizing information into larger, more manageable units. This technique is particularly useful for information that exceeds the typical memory span of between five and nine items. For instance, logging into an online account with a password like "ta89vq0179gz" involves grouping letters and numbers into three chunks—ta89, vq01, and 79gz. It makes large amounts of...

Implicit Memories

Implicit Memories

Implicit memories, also known as non-declarative memories, are long-term memories that function outside of conscious awareness. These memories influence behavior and skills without explicit knowledge. This type of memory is evident in tasks like playing tennis, snowboarding, and texting. Implicit memory has three subsystems: procedural memory, conditioning, and priming. This type of memory is essential in various activities, from everyday tasks to specialized skills.
One key aspect of implicit...

Forgetting

Forgetting

Forgetting is an intrinsic aspect of human memory, characterized by the gradual loss or inaccessibility of information over time. Hermann Ebbinghaus, a pioneering psychologist, extensively studied this phenomenon and formulated the forgetting curve. This curve illustrates that memory loss occurs rapidly immediately after learning and then decelerates over time. Several mechanisms contribute to forgetting, including encoding failure, storage decay, retrieval failure, and interference.
Encoding...

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

Editorial: New perspectives on the role of sensory feedback in speech production, volume II.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2026

Same author

Mouse model of post-traumatic stress disorder negatively impacts cardiac homeostasis.

Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology·2025

Same author

A Cross-Sectional Multivariable Analysis of the Quality of Hemodialysis Patients' Life in Lahore City, Pakistan.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2025

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

Productions Need Not Match Study Items to Confer a Production Advantage, But It Helps.

Experimental psychology·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Published on: August 24, 2012

Overwriting and intrusion in short-term memory.

Tyler D Bancroft¹, Jeffery A Jones², Tyler M Ensor^2,3

¹Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave. W., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N6K 2T8. banc6110@mylaurier.ca.

Memory & Cognition

|December 6, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Irrelevant auditory tones interfere more with memory when they are dissimilar to the stored information. This suggests memory interference depends on the complexity of information held in working memory.

Keywords:

Interference Intrusion Overwriting Short term memory Working memory

More Related Videos

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

A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers

A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers

Published on: January 5, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Published on: August 24, 2012

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

A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers

A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers

Published on: January 5, 2018

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Memory Research

Background:

Interference in working memory can occur through overwriting or intrusion of irrelevant information.
Previous research presents conflicting findings on whether similar or dissimilar distractors cause greater memory interference.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of distractor similarity on auditory working memory interference.
To explore the role of information complexity in mediating distractor effects.

Main Methods:

Utilized a paradigm employing auditory tones as stimuli.
Presented participants with auditory information and measured interference from similar versus dissimilar distractors.

Main Results:

Found greater interference when auditory distractors were dissimilar to the memory contents.
Observed that the complexity of information in memory influences the impact of distractor similarity.

Conclusions:

Dissimilar auditory distractors cause more interference in working memory than similar ones.
The type and complexity of information stored in memory play a crucial role in susceptibility to interference.