| Forgetting | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The garden of oblivion, illustration for by Ephraim Moses Lilr the l | |
| Symptoms | Difficulty in remembering recent events, problems with language, disorientation, mood swings |
| Complications | Dementia |
Forgetting or disremembering is the apparent loss or modification of information already encoded and stored in an individual's short or long-term memory. It is a spontaneous or gradual process in which old memories are unable to be recalled from memory storage. Problems with remembering, learning and retaining new information are a few of the most common complaints of older adults.[1] Studies show that retention improves with increased rehearsal. This improvement occurs because rehearsal helps to transfer information into long-term memory.[2]
Forgetting curves (amount remembered as a function of time since an event was first experienced) have been extensively analyzed. The most recent evidence suggests that a power function provides the closest mathematical fit to the forgetting function.[3]
- ^ Maddox, G. B.; Balota, D. A.; Coane, J. H. & Duchek, J. M. (2011). "The role of forgetting rate in producing a benefit of expanded over equal spaced retrieval in young and older adults". Psychology and Aging. 26 (3): 661–670. doi:10.1037/a0022942. PMC 3168729. PMID 21463056.
- ^ Wayne, W. & McCann, D. (2007). Psychology: Themes & Variety 2nd Canadian ed. Nelson Education Ltd: Thompson Wadsworth Publisher. ISBN 978-0-17-647273-3.
- ^ John T. Wixted; Shana K. Carpenter. "The Wickelgren Power Law and the Ebbinghaus Savings Function" (PDF). Psychological Science. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 8, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.