Associative interference

Diagram explaining how associative interference is caused

Associative interference is a cognitive theory established on the concept of associative learning, which suggests that the brain links related elements. When one element is stimulated, its associates can also be activated.[1] The most known study demonstrating the credibility of this concept was Pavlov's experiment in 1927 which was later developed into the learning procedure known as classical conditioning.[2]

However, whilst classical conditioning and associative learning both explore how the brain utilizes this cognitive association to benefit us, studies have also shown how the brain can mistakenly associate related, but incorrect elements together, and this is known as associative interference.[1] A simple example of this would be when one was asked a series of multiplication questions. A study conducted in 1985 showed that over 90% of the mistakes subjects made were actually answers to other questions with a common multiplicand.[3] That is, questions such as 4 x 6 = 24 and 3 x 8 = 24 were very likely to promote errors (8 x 4 = 24) due to associative interference.[3]

Associative interference was widely investigated and researchers realized there were different types of interference, namely retroactive interference which investigates how new memories disrupts the retrieval of old memories, and proactive interference which investigates how old memories disrupts the retrieval of new memories.[4] These two were subsequently known as the interference theory.

Therefore, associative interference is a fundamental theory which the interference theory draws upon. The essential difference between these two is time. Both retroactive and proactive interference are concerned with when the interfering elements, or memories were obtained.[4] However, associative interference does not encompass time, as shown by the previous example. The chronological acquisition of the four times table in relation to the three times table is independent as to why subjects made an error, highlighting the difference between the two.

  1. ^ a b Hall, G. (1991). Perceptual and Associative Learning. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
  2. ^ Razran, H. S., & Warden C. J. (1929). The sensory capacities of the dog as studied by the conditioned reflex method (Russian schools). Psychological Bulletin, 26(4), 202-222. doi:10.1037/h0073189.
  3. ^ a b Campbell, J. I. D. (1987). The role of associative interference in learning and retrieving arithmetic facts. In J. A. Sloboda & D. Rogers, Keele cognition seminars, Vol. 1. Cognitive processes in mathematics (pp. 107-122). New York, NY: Clarendon Press.
  4. ^ a b Darby, K. P., & Sloutsky, V. M. (2015). The cost of learning: Interference effects in memory development. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 144(2), 410-431. doi:10.1037/xge0000051