Which of the following theories best explains how forgetting can occur by encoding failure?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When evaluating forgetting, it’s important to distinguish the stage at which the forgetting occurs and the mechanisms proposed by each theory.
Option 1: Interference theory. This theory explains forgetting as a result of other information interfering with the memory, typically during retrieval or storage interactions. It does not specifically address encoding failure, which is the idea that the memory was never properly encoded in the first place. Thus, interference is about retrieval competition, not encoding absence.
Option 2: Inhibition theory. This concept often involves the active suppression or forgetting of memories, usually in the context of managing competing information or reducing unwanted memories. While it explains some forms of forgetting, it doesn’t account for memories that were never encoded to begin with. Therefore it does not explain encoding failure.
Option 3: None of the options. Encoding failure refers to information not being encoded successfully at the learning stage, so the forgetting arises from an absence of memory trace to retrieve. The theories listed (interference, inhibition, decay) do not specifically characterize encoding failure, making this option the best fit for the described mechanism.
Option 4: Decay theory. Decay posits that memory traces fade over time, leading to forgetting. This is about temporal degradation of information that was encoded, not about information that was never encoded in the first place. Hence it does not explain encoding failure.
In summary, encoding failure is a failure at the encoding stage itself and is not adequately accounted for by interference, inhibition, or decay theories; therefore, the most accurate choice is that none of the options directly explain encoding failure.

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Which of the following theories best explains how forgetting can occur by encoding failure?

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