Free The Forgetting Curve Essay Example

The forgetting curve shows that one can recall information depending on the time taken to reuse the information after first acquiring it i.e. it is a curve showing the rate and amount of forgetting over time. The strength of the memory and how one received the information affects the rate of forgetting. It indicates that memory loss is rapid immediately after learning, and the rate reduces over time. The forgetting curve depicts a how a combination of forgetting theories affect learning and memory.
According to the decay theory, when an individual learns something, one tends to forget due to disuse. It is, therefore, important for one to reuse the knowledge learned to refresh the same in the long term memory thereby enhancing the ability to remember. On the other hand, the interference theory suggests that forgetting occur primarily due to mixing of similar or closely related information in the long term memory. Such causes interferences such that one cannot recall the intended information. The situation is worse if one learns similar information within a short time span. The mixed information would, therefore, be difficult to recall after some time as the initial learning did not occur in the right time frames that could allow differentiation. The encoding failure theory suggests the inability to retrieve information from t the long-term memory results from inadequate or total failure to encode the information into the long-term memory. However, one could have had registered the entire message and properly stored it in the long-term memory, but fail to have the right cues to remember the information. That is what comprises of the retrieval failure theory. It suggests that the absence if retrieval cue leads to forgetting. From the above premise, it is evident that memory loss occurs due to various aspects of the learning process and retrieval of information.