Rethinking interference theory: Executive control and the mechanisms of forgetting

Retrieval induces forgetting, but only when nontested items compete for retrieval: Implication for interference, inhibition, and context reinstatement.

“…In his influential review of the literature, Anderson (2003) outlined four principles of the inhibition theory that distinguishes itself from traditional interference, inhibition-free accounts of forgetting. The four principles are cue independence, strength independence, retrieval dependence, and competition dependence.…”

“…In contrast, according to interference theory, any practice that increases memory strength of the Rp+ items relative to the Rp-items should produce retrieval-induced forgetting, regardless of whether retrieval is involved. A detailed discussion regarding these assumptions are beyond the scope of the present paper (for reviews, see Anderson, 2003;Murayama, Miyatsu, Buchli, & Storm, 2014;Raaijmakers & Jakab, 2013;Verde, 2012).…”

“…Raaijmakers & E. Jakab, 2013) or context reinstatement (T. R. Jonker, P. Seli, & C. M. MacLeod, 2013), whereas others claim that retrieval-induced forgetting is better explained by inhibition (M. C. Anderson, 2003). A fundamental assumption of the inhibition account is that nonpracticed items are suppressed because they compete for retrieval during initial testing.…”

Nile red fluorescence screening facilitating neutral lipid phenotype determination in budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

“…Egner & Hirsch, 2005). The same attention mechanisms underpin selection of a subset of information, whether this information has an external or internal source (Anderson, 2003). While distraction with an external source has been the main focus of this article, the same mechanisms should therefore also shield against internally generated distraction (Unsworth & McMillan, 2014).…”

Competitive retrieval is not a prerequisite for forgetting in the retrieval practice paradigm.

“…This inhibition process then makes the competing items less available, so that the target can be retrieved more easily. Anderson (2003) discusses a number of properties of retrievalinduced forgetting that provide evidence in favour of the inhibition account. Although these properties have been extensively investigated, some controversy still exists whether they provide sufficient evidence in support of the inhibition theory as opposed to interference-based accounts or to a context-based account (see Anderson, 2003;Jonker, Seli, & MacLeod, 2013;Raaijmakers & Jakab, 2013;Storm & Levy, 2012;Verde, 2012, for reviews).…”