Discuss (and then debate) which of the three mechanisms of forgetting is the most functional.
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- Answer the entire prompt
- Initial post should be at least 200 words
- APA format in-text citations
- Use life examples
Prompt #2
Human brains are not the same as rat brains. Nor are pigeon brains the same as rat brains. This may seem obvious, but much of what we know about learning, we have learned from studying animals besides humans. We make the assumption that we can learn about humans from these other animals because humans are at least as smart as pigeons and rats. However, it is possible that through evolution, rats and other animals may be able to solve some problems better than humans (e.g., echolocation in bats). Discuss what those problems might be and whether we can still discover something about learning by studying such problems. Read Salwiczek et al., 2012 to get an idea of how these problems play out in the scientific literature. Incorporate what you learn into this response.
Parameters
- Answer the entire prompt
- Initial post should be at least 200 words
- APA format in-text citations
- Use life examples
Mechanisms of Forgetting: A Functional Debate
Forgetting is a natural process that can occur through various mechanisms, including decay, interference, and retrieval failure. Each of these mechanisms serves a functional purpose in the cognitive system. Among these, interference might be considered the most functional.
Decay Theory suggests that memories fade over time if they are not accessed or used (Ebbinghaus, 1885). While this process ensures that the brain is not overloaded with outdated information, it can also lead to the loss of valuable memories that might be needed later.
Interference Theory posits that forgetting occurs because new information competes with old information (Baddeley, 1997). There are two types of interference: proactive (older memories interfere with new ones) and retroactive (new memories interfere with older ones). This mechanism is highly functional as it prioritizes more relevant, recent information while allowing the brain to filter out less useful memories. For example, learning a new phone number can make it difficult to remember an old one, which is beneficial when the old number is no longer in use.
Retrieval Failure occurs when memories are temporarily inaccessible due to a lack of cues (Tulving & Pearlstone, 1966). Although the information is stored in the brain, it cannot be retrieved without proper prompts. This mechanism ensures that not all information is always readily available, which prevents cognitive overload and helps focus on current tasks.
Debate: While decay and retrieval failure have their functions, interference is particularly functional in daily life. Interference allows the brain to update and adapt to new information, which is crucial in our rapidly changing world. For instance, a student who updates their study materials with the latest information will perform better than one who clings to outdated knowledge.
Conclusion: While all three mechanisms of forgetting serve functional roles, interference stands out for its ability to help individuals adapt to new and relevant information, thereby enhancing learning and memory efficiency.
Learning from Animal Studies: Insights from Rats and Pigeons
Animal studies have significantly contributed to our understanding of human learning, despite differences between species. By examining learning mechanisms in animals such as rats and pigeons, researchers have gained insights that are applicable to human behavior.
Echolocation in Bats: Bats use echolocation to navigate and hunt in complete darkness, a skill that humans do not possess. This unique ability highlights that some animals have evolved specialized skills to solve specific problems better than humans. By studying echolocation, scientists can learn about sensory processing and spatial navigation, which can inform human applications, such as developing assistive technologies for the visually impaired (Salwiczek et al., 2012).
Rats and Maze Learning: Rats have been extensively studied in maze learning experiments, which have provided insights into spatial memory and problem-solving strategies. These studies have revealed that rats use a combination of cues and trial-and-error learning to navigate mazes, which parallels human learning in complex environments (Tolman, 1948).
Pigeons and Discrimination Learning: Pigeons excel in discrimination learning tasks, where they distinguish between different visual stimuli. This ability to detect subtle differences has been applied to understand visual perception and cognitive processes in humans (Cook, 2001).
Conclusion: Despite the differences between human and animal brains, studying animal learning can reveal fundamental principles of cognition. These studies demonstrate that even if animals like bats, rats, and pigeons can solve certain problems better than humans, the underlying mechanisms of learning and adaptation are often similar across species.
References
Baddeley, A. D. (1997). Human memory: Theory and practice. Psychology Press.
Cook, R. G. (2001). Avian visual cognition. Princeton University Press.
Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology. Teachers College, Columbia University.
Salwiczek, L. H., Watanabe, A., Clayton, N. S., & Osvath, M. (2012). Ten years of research into problem solving and planning in corvids. Behavioural Processes, 89(2), 210-221.
Tulving, E., & Pearlstone, Z. (1966). Availability versus accessibility of information in memory for words. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 5(4), 381-391.
Tolman, E. C. (1948). Cognitive maps in rats and men. Psychological Review, 55(4), 189-208.