Trace Decay Theory of Forgetting
- Created by: individdy0410
- Created on: 21-03-16 17:11
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- Trace Decay Theory of Forgetting
- Developed by Hebb, 1949
- States that forgetting occurs as a result of decay in memory pathways in the brain
- Memories are formed in the brain when neurons make connections with eachother
- When one neuron is activated, others in the link are automatically activated, too
- Pattern of activation is called a memory trace
- When one neuron is activated, others in the link are automatically activated, too
- Not a named study in the exam
- The creation of new links between neurons causes a physical change within the brain structure
- Physical change - an engram
- Argues that forgetting occurs when a memory is not actively used
- The physical traces between neurons begins to fade away and may be over-written by new memories
- By actively accessing a memory, we strengthen the trace, making the memory readily available
- Explains forgetting as a problem of availability
- The information is lost completely from the memory system through disuse and passage of time
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