Which term best describes the phenomenon where memory performance dramatically improves when the tested category is switched on every fourth trial?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To analyze the question, we first restate what is being described: memory performance improves when the tested category changes on a regular schedule (every fourth trial).
Option 1: Release from proactive interference. This is the classic phenomenon where switching to a new category or context reduces interference from previously learned material, allowing performance to improve. The description matches a typical release-from-proactive-interference effect.
Option 2: Release from inhibition. While inhibition concepts exist in psychology (e.g., response inhibition), the term “release from inhibition” is not standard for describing improved memory due to switching categories; it does not capture the interference-based mechanism at play here.
Option 3: Release from AB-AC learning. This term refers to a situation in associative learning where switching from A-B pairings to A-C pairings reduces interference within a given learning task, but the commonly discussed phenomenon is specifically called release from proactive interference. This option conflates related ideas but is not the standard label for the observed effect described in the question.
Option 4: Release from retroactive interference. Retroactive interference involves new information interfering with the recall of old information. The scenario described—improvement via category switching across trials—aligns with proactive interference being reduced, not retroactive interference; thus this option does not fit.
Overall, the best descriptor for improved memory performance due to changing the tested category on a regular schedule is release from proactive interference, since prior memories interfere less when the retrieval context or category changes, leading to better recall on subsequent trials. The other options either name different phenomena or are not the correct labels for this effect.

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Which term best describes the phenomenon where memory performance dramatically improves when the tested category is switched on every fourth trial?

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