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Ms. Rabia Jameel: Experiment # 03

The document describes an experiment on retroactive inhibition. The experiment tested how recall of verbal material is affected by an interpolated activity between learning and recall. Participants learned three lists of nonsense syllables. Recall of the first list decreased after learning the second list due to retroactive inhibition from the new material. A longer interpolated activity before recalling the first list further reduced accuracy. The results supported the hypothesis that recall is adversely affected by new learning during an interpolated activity between learning and recall.

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Hanan Ishtiaq
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72 views18 pages

Ms. Rabia Jameel: Experiment # 03

The document describes an experiment on retroactive inhibition. The experiment tested how recall of verbal material is affected by an interpolated activity between learning and recall. Participants learned three lists of nonsense syllables. Recall of the first list decreased after learning the second list due to retroactive inhibition from the new material. A longer interpolated activity before recalling the first list further reduced accuracy. The results supported the hypothesis that recall is adversely affected by new learning during an interpolated activity between learning and recall.

Uploaded by

Hanan Ishtiaq
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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EXPERIMENT # 03

Ms. Rabia Jameel


RETROACTIVE INHIBITION
Problem

‘Studying Retroactive Inhibition as a Function of


Interpolated Activity’
Introduction

 Forgetting is actually memory failure to recall material in mind.


 Why we forget? One reason is that we may not have paid attention to
the material in first place, that is the failure of encoding the material.
 Decay is the loss of information through non use. It may be possible
that physical changes that takes place in brain when new material is
learned fade away even over time. One another reason for forgetting
may be how long ago a person was exposed to information and how
well that information is recalled.
 Forgetting can be occurred due to many reasons.
Introduction

1) Cue Dependent Forgetting:


Forgetting that occurs when there are insufficient cues to retrieve information that
is in memory.
2) Interference:
The phenomenon by which information in memory disrupts the recall of other
information.
Kinds of interference:
There are actually two sorts of interference that influence forgetting
i) Proactive Interference and
ii) Retroactive Interference
Introduction

 Proactive Interference: Interference in which information


learned earlier disrupts the recall of newer information
 Retroactive Interference: Interference in which there is
difficulty in the recall of information learned earlier because of
later exposure to different material.
Introduction

3) Inhibition:
Inhibition is the conscious or unconscious constraint or
behavior especially of impulses from being acted on.
It has two types
i) Retroactive inhibition
ii) Proactive inhibition
Introduction

Retroactive Inhibition:
The adverse effect upon retention of an activity interpolated
between learning and recall is described as Retroactive Inhibition.
Interpolated Activities:
Interpolated activities are those activities which are done
between learning and recall. It has a great effect on retention. It may
include using cell phones, talking or playing games.
Introduction

Reminiscence:
Reminiscence may be defined as temporary improvement in
performance occurring without the benefit of practice.
Hypothesis

‘Recall of verbal material is adversely affected by interpolated


activity’
Methodology
 General Experimental Design: Experiment was conducted in pairs.
One acted as a subject and other as experimenter, then it was repeated as
role reversal.
 Subject: A young girl…, 20 years old, doing BS/ MS…
 Apparatus and Equipment: Memory drum, 3 lists of non-sense
syllables, stop watch, data recording sheet and some stationery were
used as apparatus and equipment's.
Methodology

 Procedure :
Experiment was conducted in well illuminated and peaceful
experimental lab. The apparatus was arranged on the table and
subject was seated comfortably in front of apparatus. The
experimenter pasted one list of non sense syllables words on
memory drum and gave a three second exposure for each word
to subject. Trials were given to subject unless the subject
recalled all words.
Methodology

 Procedure :
Time consumed for all trials was collectively recorded. Then subject was given one
minute rest which was the time for interpolated activity.
After this the experimenter pasted second list of the non sense syllables on the memory
drum and gave the subject three seconds exposure for every word and then asked to
recall the words. Trials were given unless the subject recalled all the words and error less
trials were obtained. Time taken was recorded with the help of the stopwatch.
Then subject was given rest of 2 minutes and interpolated activities. After this the
subject was asked to recall list A again.
Methodology

 Procedure :
Then third list was pasted on memory drum. The subject was given trials unless she
recalled all words. Then she was given 11 minutes rest or time of interpolated activities.
This time was equal to 1 minute plus the time taken in task B. after this the subject was
given 1 trial to recall the third list.
After this only one trials was given and subject was asked to recall the second list. Time
taken for this activity was recorded with the help of stop watch.
Results

 Percentages for 3rd trials and 5th trials were calculated. Data was
recorded on the data recording sheet.
Discussion and Conclusion

 The hypothesis was verified, that the new learning effects past
learning. It was shown in experiment that recalling new
information interferes with old learning and due to this
interference the percentage of recall of new information
decreases.
References
 Postman, L., & Egan, J. P. (1967). Experimental Psychology,
An Introduction. New Delhi: Kalyan Publishers.
Assignment
 Write down the Experiment no 03 and submit the rough drafts by
Monday.

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