Final answer:
Interference in psychology refers to an occurrence where new learning disrupts the retrieval of old memories. Proactive interference involves old information impeding the recall of new information, whereas retroactive interference is when new information overshadows the old.
Step-by-step explanation:
Interference occurs when new stimuli or learning interferes with the storage and retrieval of previously formed memories. In the context of psychology, specifically in the study of memory, there are two main types of interference: proactive interference and retroactive interference.
Proactive interference is when old information hinders the recall of newly learned information. For example, recalling a previously memorized phone number instead of a new one. On the other hand, retroactive interference happens when newly learned information makes it difficult to remember older information. This can occur when a recent study topic overshadows a previously studied one.
Both types of interference can impact how we are able to retrieve information from our long-term memory, such as procedural memory, which is the type of memory we use for skilled actions like driving or swimming.