Which of the following explains why the rate of forgetting a given item becomes slower as more time progresses?

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Question restatement: Which of the following explains why the rate of forgetting a given item becomes slower as more time progresses?

Option 1: 'As more time progresses, there is more interference' This statement describes interference as a cause of forgetting, which typically accelerates forgetting, especially in the short term when competing memories accumulate. It does not explain why forgetting slows down over time; in fact, interference can continue to cause forgetting rather than ease it as time passes.

Option 2: 'As more time progresses, memories become inhibited' This suggests a process of inhibition limiting retrieval over time. Inhibition is one potential factor in forgetting, but it does not account for the observed deceleration of forgetting as time passes. It does not explain the mechanism by which forgetting slows down later.

Option 3: 'As more time progresses, memories are more likely to become consolidated' This aligns with the concept of memory consolidation, wherein memories stabilize and become less fragile over time. Consolidation strengthens memory traces, reducing the rate of forgetting as time goes on, which explains the slowing of forgetting for a given item.

Option 4: 'As more time progresses, memories are subject to decay' This reflects the decay theory, which would predict that forgetting continues or accelerates with time rather than slowing down. Decay alone does not account for a decreasing forgetting rate, so it contradicts the observed weakening of forgetting over longer intervals.

Synthesis: By weighing these options, the idea that consolidation strengthens and stabilizes memories over time provides the best explanation for why the forgetting rate for a particular item diminishes as more time passes, compared to models emphasizing interference, inhibition, or simple decay. The consolidation view captures the time-dependent stabilization process that reduces susceptibility to forgetting in the long term.

PSYC20007_2025_SM2 Supplementary or Special Exam: Cognitive Psychology (PSYC20007_2025_SM2)- Requires Respondus LockDown Browser

Which of the following explains why the rate of forgetting a given item becomes slower as more time progresses?

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