This Tip discusses how interference and decay explain why we forget, depending on how we created the initial memory.
“Memory is the mother of all wisdom.” Aeschylus
As trainers, we are very concerned about learning transfer. We want new skills learned in class to transfer back to performance in the worksite. We know that transfer works most effectively when learners immediately apply the new learning.
The issue is the reality of that “new learning.” According to Patti Shank in her article: “What Do You Know: Why Do People Forget What They Learn?” forgetting depends on how the information was learned- or if it was learned at all.
“Perhaps one of the main reasons for forgetting is that we never remembered in the first place. To forget something, we must first remember it (encoded in long-term memory). That means we must perceive it, pay attention to, process it in working memory, and finally encode it in long-term memory.”
There are other reasons why we forget:
- decay, where memories fade over time if we don’t access them enough, and
- interference, where memories become less accessible as we acquire similar information.
Whether decay or interference applies will depend on how we created the initial memory.
Declarative, or explicit memory, relates to what we can state that we remember. It can take one of two forms:
- familiarity (memory and judgment without a lot of detail) or
- recollection (memory with specific details in their context).
These different forms are stored differently in the brain.
Recollection memory is more resistant to interference, but less resistant to decay.
If we don’t want to easily forget the new learning because of interference, we need to learn deeply with the ability to directly apply it on the job.
If we don’t want to quickly forget the new learning because of decay, we need to regularly use and recall it. This is more likely to happen if we base the design for application on the job on real knowledge of people’s jobs.
Let’s create recollection memories resistant to both interference and decay. Aim for deep realistic and practical learning with ample practice and immediate ongoing applicability back on the job.
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
