After switching departments at work and getting a new phone number, Anne found that it was harder to remember her previous department's phone number. Anne was experiencing _____, which occurs when forming a new memory makes it harder to recall a previous memory.
A)retroactive interference
B)encoding failure
C)proactive interference
D)long-term potentiation failure

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference is the phenomenon where the act of forming a new memory interferes with the ability to recall an older memory. In this scenario, Anne's new phone number is interfering with her ability to recall her previous department's phone number. Encoding failure refers to the inability to create a new memory in the first place, while long-term potentiation failure refers to a failure in the process of strengthening neural connections that underlie memory formation. Proactive interference occurs when an older memory interferes with the ability to recall a new memory, which is not what is happening in this scenario.

After Switching Departments at Work and Getting a New Phone