Retrieval-Induced Forgetting

① When people try to relate to the subject of memory, they tend to think about the process memorizing all the time. Meanwhile, in contrast, forgetting is less mentioned and regarded as a dysfunction of memory. People always associate forgetting with negative consequences in life. For instance, forgetting might lead to unsatisfying performance at school, and it can make people miss important deadlines at work as well. However, in Storm’s journal article, the author has proven that forgetting is an adaptive mechanism adopted by humans to enhance the retrieval of important and relevant information. Furthermore, according to Storm, retrieval-induced forgetting plays a critical role in overcoming interference. Retrieval-induced forgetting is a process

As we have learned, failure in encoding and selectively paying less attention can result in forgetting. Equally, forgetting is also a result of a failure in retrieval or making use of existing long-term memories to solve current problems. The article focuses on forgetting induced by retrieval and its effect on interference. Interference refers to the tendency for inappropriate memories to block the retrieval of useful and wanted memories. Most people consider forgetting unpleasant and hurtful largely due to the influence of forgetting caused by interference. Interference impaired people from making use of the information they need to cope with different tasks. Nonetheless, retrieval-induced forgetting has a reversed effect on memory. Instead of having the unnecessary memories compete with those necessary ones, they are inhibited from further encoded into long-term memory. Consequently, those wanted memories will be eliminated from any competition. More importantly, forgetting prevents a human’s brain becoming overloaded with all the random and undesired details. As Storm quoted from William James: “If we remembered everything, we should on most occasions be as ill off as if we remembered nothing.” In a way, forgetting helps the brain to function more efficiently. Moreover, Storm signifies that forgetting can occur consciously and unconsciously, through suppression and repression. In the case related to retrieval-induced forgetting, suppression usually predominates since people are aware of the necessity to erase those useless memories. Above all, the conclusion Storm has developed is solely based on observing and experimenting people’s use of semantic memories, memories of general facts that are