Which aspect of retrieval-induced forgetting does interference theory have difficulty explaining?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks us to identify which aspect of retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) is difficult for interference theory to account for.
Option A: 'RP+ items performing better than NRP items' Interference theory can plausibly explain why items that are practiced (RP+) become more resistant to forgetting and may outperform non-practiced (NRP) items, since practice strengthens memory traces and reduces interference from competing items.
Option B: 'Strong RP- items showing RIF but not weak items' Here the key challenge emerges. Interference theory would need to assume that memory traces for strong RP- items are selectively suppressed due to retrieval practice in a way that weak RP- items are spared. That kind of selective, strength-dependent forgetting across items within the same RP- category is not straightforward under a pure interference account, which typically predicts a more uniform pattern of forgetting driven by competition between retrieved and non-retrieved items.
Option C: 'RIF for both strong and weak RP- items' This pattern is more in line with what many interference-based explanations can accommodate, since forgetting could extend to multiple RP- items if competition is sufficiently broad or if strength modulates susceptibility in a less selective way.
Option D: 'RIF being observed when exemplars are used to cue the categories' RIF observed under categorical cueing fits with interference mechanisms, because retrieval practice can increase competition and cause forgetting of non-practiced exemplars within the same category, which interference theory can describe in principle.
In sum, while several aspects align with interference theory, the notion that strong RP- items show RIF while weak RP- items do not requires a finely tuned, strength-sensitive selective suppression that standard interference accounts struggle to generate without additional assumptions. Therefore, this particular pattern poses the greatest explanatory challenge for interference theory among the options.

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Which aspect of retrieval-induced forgetting does interference theory have difficulty explaining?

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Under what conditions would we conclude that retrieval-induced forgetting was observed? Note that: RP+ items = practiced items from practiced categories, RP- items = unpracticed items from practiced categories, NRP items = unpracticed items from unpracticed categories

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