Question

An anthropology professor prides herself on her ability to remember the names of her students, past and present. However, she finds that the longer she is in the profession, the harder it becomes to remember the names of present students because they become confused with her past students. The professor is having trouble because of:

a. Interference
b. Retrograde amnesia
c. Proactive interference
d. Retroactive interference

Answer 1

The anthropology professor's difficulty in remembering names due to confusion with past students' names is an example of proactive interference, where old information impedes the recall of new information. The correct option is c. Proactive interference

Step-by-step explanation:

The anthropology professor is having trouble remembering the names of her current students because they are getting mixed up with those of her past students.

This problem is an example of proactive interference. Proactive interference occurs when old information hinders the recall of newly learned information.

This is in contrast to retroactive interference, which involves new information interfering with the recall of older information.

The issue the professor is experiencing is not related to retrograde amnesia, which is the loss of memory for events that occurred prior to brain trauma. The correct option is c. Proactive interference