Question

______states that neurochemical memory traces disintegrate over time, suggests that forgetting always increase with the passage of time

Answer 1

Neurochemical memory traces can disintegrate over time due to memory trace decay, contributing to forgetting. Short-term memory can decay within seconds or minutes if information is not rehearsed or consolidated. Proactive interference, where previously learned information interferes with new learning, can also impact memory retention.

Step-by-step explanation:

Neurochemical memory traces can disintegrate over time, leading to forgetting. This concept is known as memory trace decay. According to research, short-term memory can decay in a matter of seconds or minutes if the information is not rehearsed or consolidated. For example, in a study by Peterson and Peterson (1959), participants remembered about 80% of trigrams after a 3-second delay, but only 10% after a delay of 18 seconds. However, it's important to note that memory decay is not the only factor affecting forgetting. Proactive interference, which occurs when previously learned information interferes with learning new information, can also impact short-term memory retention. Both memory trace decay and proactive interference contribute to forgetting in the context of neurochemical memory traces.