Retroactive interference

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A type of "forgetting" in which more recent learning interferes with memory for something that happened in the past. For instance, studying vocab for a Spanish test might interfere with remembering words for a French study studied earlier in the day.

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Significance

This type of interference suggests that certain memories can be modified or created by suggestion. If a witness of a car crash were to retell their account immediately following the crash, it may be accurate. However, when misleading questions are asked using words like "smashed glass," witness' accounts may differ drastically. In essence, their past memories are being influenced by new information presented by interrogators.

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