Forgetting

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/forgetting

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the related scientific fields?Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology, Educational Psychology, Gerontology
2. What happens to a memory when we forget it?The brain slowly fades the neural connections that held that memory. It can also change the memory a little bit.
3. Why does forgetting help us?It keeps our minds from getting too full, so we can focus on the most important things and learn new stuff.

Encoding Specificity Principle: The idea that retrieval cues are more effective when they match the conditions present during encoding.
Proactive Interference: When older memories interfere with the recall of newer information.
Retroactive Interference: When newer memories interfere with the recall of older information.