What is forgetting in psychology? Concept, causes, warning

What is forgetting in psychology? It is one of the main processes of memory. They also include memorization and reproduction, preservation and recognition. They are inextricably linked, which means that none of them can not be perceived separately from the other.

But the topic of this article is directly forgetting. Its causes, peculiarities and the course of the process itself, the factors affecting it, the types and recommendations for combating this phenomenon will be examined.

What is forgetting?

In psychology, it is customary to give the following definition of forgetting. This is the loss of the ability to reproduce and recognize previously memorized. This one definition already makes it clear that forgetting depends on at least the three processes mentioned above. It is most closely associated with memorization. This is easily explained: one is impossible without the other. While the information is not stored, it can not be forgotten. This is a very important point for identifying the process.

Classification

There are two equivalent classifications of forgetting, each composed by its own sign.

On the first, the phenomenon is singled out as partial (this means that such forgetting in psychology is treated as incomplete or erroneous reproduction of the previously memorized one) and complete (absolute loss of information). It is believed that it is forgotten that the brain (consciousness) filters as insignificant, unimportant.

The second classification determines the temporal (due to inhibition of nervous connections) and a prolonged (their fading) manifestation of the process under consideration.

Why does it arise?

In general, the causes of forgetting are divided into two separate groups. The first considers this process as natural. This, for example, is poorly remembered information or forgotten evening thoughts, which the person pondered immediately before going to bed. Also, we tend to forget bad memories: a dream perfectly erases them from memory. Hence the proverb: "The morning is wiser than the evening."

The second group is less large-scale. In essence, these are all cases of unnatural forgetting: for example, the consequences of psychological problems. But this reason is based on the principle that people often say "I forgot" about the troubles, and not the joyful events.

The process of forgetting

The process of forgetting is uneven. "I do not remember" is the statement that information can not be reproduced. But psychologists tend to consider not the perfect process, but how it happened.

The tendency of forgetting is that at first it goes at a rapid pace, and then it's slower. On the example of remembering something: in the first 5 days of memorizing, the data will be erased sooner than after the expiration of this period. Of course, it is worthwhile to take into account the fact that the memory of all is different, and therefore such strict limits determine not all.

Features of forgetting

An interesting feature of forgetting is improved delayed reproduction: that is, most accurately memorizing manifests itself after a couple of days. This phenomenon in psychology is called reminiscence.

Forgetting as the main problem of human memory

Mechanisms of memory are often associated with memorization. But some scientists argue that in order for it to be fully studied, it is worth concentrating on forgetting, not memorizing.

The mechanisms of forgetting

There are several answers to the question about the mechanisms of forgetting.

The first of them is not even in fact forgetting: a person claims: "I forgot" not because the information was erased from his consciousness, but because she was not placed there. At the moment when the data was transmitted, they were not heard, taken into account, and because of and remembered. Example: a student in a lesson who does not truly remember what he was asked the last time, then, when it was said, he was distracted by something else: for example, a friend in a school desk.

The second answer puts an emphasis on fleeting events. This is information received, but it was not finally transmitted to either short -term or long-term memory. Most likely, the brain found it not so significant, and to a greater extent it is.

Classification of reasons for forgetting

Earlier in this article, two large groups of reasons for forgetting were already considered. But experts also highlight the main of them, specified.

crowding out

Repression is a kind of forgetting, occurring exclusively at the subconscious level. It becomes an instrument of adaptation, when a person unconsciously blocks horrific memories that can injure him. According to Freud, deep in the subconscious this information remains, and it can be "pulled out" by hypnosis or revealed in dreams.

Amnesia, the extreme degree of the species in question, is defined as a mental disorder. It is characterized by a complete or partial loss of personal memories. Amnesia has its own interesting features: it is known that although a person does not remember who he is, habits and skills remain with him. This means that the victims of amnesia do not need to be taught again to write, read, dress, eat and cook their own food.

Forms of amnesia

Hysterical amnesia is the most famous form of this mental disorder. It is not caused by physiological or organic causes. Often, this amnesia is part of the post-traumatic syndrome. In addition, it is temporary, which means that the memory of a person will soon be fully restored. In addition, in the treatment of such amnesia, doctors, relatives and friends of the victim contribute to it: special medications are prescribed, others tell about the past, a person gets used to who he is, gradually recalling it.

The physiological causes of amnesia are alcohol and various psychotropic and narcotic substances, diseases and traumas, in particular, brain damage. This forgetting can be both temporary and long-lasting. It is called organic amnesia.

Absent and forgetfulness in everyday life are signs of amnesia in people of advanced age. This is a detailed reproduction of the past, but extremely extensive orientation in the present. This form of amnesia, which often turns out to be permanent, is called global dementia. Psychologists correlate it with the law of Ribot, or the law of the reverse course of memory. Also actual is the name - the law of regression. It is named after the psychologist who formulated it in the nineteenth century. Ribot's law is typical for the elderly or patients with certain diseases. Forgetting (destroying memories) begins with recent things, more and more hitting the past. The last stage - forgetting habits, skills and abilities. This process concerns the destruction of the personality and instinctive memory - the most stable part of it.

If forgetting according to Ribot's law is due to illness, it is treatable, and in the order in which memory loss is observed. However, if the cause is old age, then it only remains to maintain the current state of things (the regression progresses at a slow pace).

It is interesting that, despite the fact that the media often covers cases of amnesia, it does not occur as often as one might think. In cases of forgetting, it does not occupy a small percentage.

Suppression

Suppression is the second main reason for forgetting. Unlike repression, it, in turn, is conscious. A person can try to forget a person or an event, an act about which he regrets and an action for which he is ashamed, etc.

Fading and distortion

Both extinction and distortion occur more often than suppression or repression.

Unclaimed knowledge sooner or later begin to fade away: for example, a person knows that some moment is already stored in the memory of his phone, which means that it is not so important to keep it in his memory, it is enough only to understand where this information is. Skills and skills are almost not subject to extinction, in contrast to specific data. In addition, it is known that the earlier the knowledge is acquired, the better they are remembered. Example: a foreign language learned in early childhood will remain stronger in memory than if it had been studied in adolescence or even in adulthood.

However, extinction can not be unambiguously considered the main cause of forgetting. After all, it often happens that a person without tricks says "I do not remember" about the significant things used by him more than once, and at the same time useless little things are constantly in his mind.

Interference

Distortion, or interference, is the mixing of new events (data, knowledge, information) with old memories. This leads to a subsequent partial forgetting. In addition, interference also interferes with memorization. It is easy to see how memorization and forgetting are related to each other. Even the factors that affect them are at times similar, related or mutually reinforcing. In this particular case, two factors, such as proactive and retroactive interference, are important.

Retroactive Interference

Retroactive interference is a phenomenon in which the reproduction of old knowledge is blocked when new knowledge is acquired. At the same time, the data should be similar to each other: for example, two foreign languages. A person who knows English and has started studying German will face difficulties in reproducing English words that just recently did not cause him any problems. At the same time, German analogues will be remembered much easier.

Another example: preparation for exams. Retroactive interference does not become a hindrance when both physics and chemistry are studied at the same time, but one after another read topics on the economy may well block each other.

Proactive interference

Proactive interference is a phenomenon opposite to the previous one. In this case, old knowledge, on the contrary, prevents the assimilation of new ones. They mix and distort each other.

Proactive interference is easy to consider with the example of memorizing a paragraph: the beginning is easily remembered due to the effect of primacy, the end is because the knowledge is fresh and they are easily accessible to their memory, they are, so to speak, on the surface. But the middle is either distorted, or completely erased. It will be more affected by proactive interference.

Psychological theories of forgetting

The processes of memory in psychology are explained by associative connections and thinking. From this point of view, forgetting is represented as the disintegration of associations. To maintain the integrity of the links, it is recommended to repeat and use the stored information.

Ebbinghaus on forgetting

G. Ebbingauz, a psychologist from Germany, two centuries ago investigated the pattern with which a person forgets information. The law of forgetting Ebbingauza over the years has not lost its relevance and is still used even in modern psychology. The example mentioned above for proactive interference clearly shows the law in question, because the scientist has found out that the information at the beginning and at the end is remembered best. His conclusions Ebbinghaus made due to numerous experiments. His invention is a forgetting curve, illustrating the regularity of this process. Briefly it can be described as follows: the more time passes from the moment of memorization, the less the influence of this information.

Also, Ebbinghaus found out that data that makes sense is remembered by a person better than those that do not carry any semantic load.

How to reduce forgetting?

Recommendations for combating forgetting when trying to memorize information are as follows:

• When memorizing, it is necessary to comprehend information (based on the above conclusion made by H. Ebbinghaus). That is, if it is necessary to remember something, it is better to use the old kind wisdom - it is better to learn and understand it, and not to cram.
• Repeat information, and the time between memorization and the first repetition should be at least forty minutes. The number of repetitions is maximum in the first days and gradually decreases.

Recommendations suggest that for a quality memorization and to avoid forgetting for the assimilation of information, it is necessary to devote time more than one day. "Victory loves preparation," qualitative and lasting.

Forgetting: is it so bad?

To the question what is forgetting in psychology, a very precise and scientific answer is given without an emotional coloring, only a definition. But if you ask him about a common man in the street, he will also give him his attitude, and most often negative. We believe that memory, forgetting, are opposites. Remember - it's good, not to remember - it's bad. Of course, forgetting can cause difficulties and obstacles, but there are also positive aspects. Like a hard disk, human memory is cleared, which gives more space for new information. Moreover, as discussed above, phenomena such as amnesia can be useful, since they block memories that traumatize consciousness. Ultimately, all memory processes help to clearly function this complex mechanism, including memorization, and forgetting, and recognition, and reproduction.

Human factor

Forgetting in psychology is studied in connection with the remaining processes of memory, but still in a general sense. The laws of forgetting work with a certain, but not absolute, precision. The human factor is important : someone has better memory, someone worse. Some techniques and instructions have to be "tailored to fit", taking into account the peculiarities of the body and thinking, that's why forgetting - the process peculiar to everyone becomes individual for everyone.