Displacement theory of forgetting
This fits into the multi-store model of memory and is an explanation of why forgetting occurs in STM. This theory explains why information in STM does not always transfer into LTM. It says that information in STM is displaced due to the limited capacity – 9 or less. This means incoming information replaces the information already being held in STM. The primacy and recency effect which form part of multi-store model apply to forgetting in STM. Primacy effect – information learned first will be remembered better (due to being transferred to LTM through rehearsal), recency effect – information learned last will be remembered as it is still in the rehearsal loop , information in the middle will be more likely to be forgotten because it did not go from rehearsal loop into LTM but was displaced by new information in the loop and forgotten.
Supporting evidence:
Waugh & Norman (1965) read a list of letters to pp’s. They were then told a letter and had to try and say what the next letter on the list was. They found that displacement did occur
This explanation fits in with the multi store model of memory where a rehearsal loop is used to explain forgetting in STM. The loop can only contain a limited amount of information so it makes sense that information is displaced from it. It also fits in with working memory – supporting two models of memory
Opposing evidence:
It is difficult to tell if it is displacement that occurred or if the memory simply decayed or whether interference occurred in the rehearsal loop and the incoming information interfered with the rehearsal of information in the loop
Word lists and letters are used to study displacement. While this is reliable and allows for cause and effect to be established it lacks validity as this is not how memory works in real life.
Different explanation:
Cue dependent theory of forgetting differs to displacement as it instead says that memories are not forgotten, instead the retrieval cues are not present for that memory trace to return to consciousness.
Application:
As it suggests capacity is limited and this is why forgetting occurs, a strategy to overcome this is chunking
This fits into the multi-store model of memory and is an explanation of why forgetting occurs in STM. This theory explains why information in STM does not always transfer into LTM. It says that information in STM is displaced due to the limited capacity – 9 or less. This means incoming information replaces the information already being held in STM. The primacy and recency effect which form part of multi-store model apply to forgetting in STM. Primacy effect – information learned first will be remembered better (due to being transferred to LTM through rehearsal), recency effect – information learned last will be remembered as it is still in the rehearsal loop , information in the middle will be more likely to be forgotten because it did not go from rehearsal loop into LTM but was displaced by new information in the loop and forgotten.
Supporting evidence:
Waugh & Norman (1965) read a list of letters to pp’s. They were then told a letter and had to try and say what the next letter on the list was. They found that displacement did occur
This explanation fits in with the multi store model of memory where a rehearsal loop is used to explain forgetting in STM. The loop can only contain a limited amount of information so it makes sense that information is displaced from it. It also fits in with working memory – supporting two models of memory
Opposing evidence:
It is difficult to tell if it is displacement that occurred or if the memory simply decayed or whether interference occurred in the rehearsal loop and the incoming information interfered with the rehearsal of information in the loop
Word lists and letters are used to study displacement. While this is reliable and allows for cause and effect to be established it lacks validity as this is not how memory works in real life.
Different explanation:
Cue dependent theory of forgetting differs to displacement as it instead says that memories are not forgotten, instead the retrieval cues are not present for that memory trace to return to consciousness.
Application:
As it suggests capacity is limited and this is why forgetting occurs, a strategy to overcome this is chunking
