Retroactive Memory
Retroactive memory is a psychological concept that includes the phenomena of proactive and retroactive interference. The psychology writers at Paper Masters would gladly assist you in writing on retroactive memory if you have a paper that requires this type of research.
Retroactive memory is a derivative of interference theory, which is divided into two components:
- Proactive Interference
- Retroactive Interference.
The concept of interference is used to explain long-term memory forgetting. Interference occurs when an individual is trying to recall something specific, and information that is similar to the original recollection interferes with that person's ability to recall the specific memory. The similar material is a conglomeration of learned material and past memories, thoughts, and/or behaviors that interfere with the ability to accurately recall a memory.
Proactive interference refers to old memories, behaviors, or thoughts that interfere with an individual's ability to recall newly learned information. Retroactive interference is when newly learned material or memories interfere with an individual's ability to recall old memories or information. Retroactive interference creates, in essence, a competitive dynamic for information recall and also includes a process of unlearning information.
Retroactive memory, or interference, allegedly only applies to the inability to recall information of a similar context or format. One of the key components of this theory is that the information being recalled and the information that interferes with that recall must be similar.