Question

You memorize twenty poems while your twin plays video games. Then both of you memorize another poem and you forget it faster. Why did you forget it faster?

a) Your twin has a better memory
b) The interference from playing video games affected your memory
c) The new poem was harder to memorize
d) You have a selective memory

Answer 1

Proactive interference from the previously memorized poems may have caused you to forget the new poem faster. Option b) is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The accelerated forgetting of the new poem might be attributed to proactive interference rather than the interference from playing video games. Proactive interference arises when previously acquired information impedes the recall of more recently learned material. In this context, the twenty poems memorized earlier could have created interference, obstructing the successful retention of the new poem. The cognitive imprint of the previously memorized poems seems to have taken precedence, making it challenging for the fresh information to find a stable place in memory.

Contrary to the notion that playing video games directly contributed to the forgetting, proactive interference suggests that the challenge primarily emanated from the lingering influence of prior learning experiences. The cognitive landscape, preoccupied with the recollection of the twenty initial poems, may have resisted the integration of the new poem. While playing video games may involve cognitive engagement, its interference is not directly linked to the forgetting of the new poem. Instead, proactive interference highlights the nuanced dynamics of memory, where the weight of past information can impede the seamless incorporation of novel knowledge.