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Description

It has been widely contested whether the rate of forgetting is connected to the initial degree of learning. While recent studies suggest that forgetting occurs at a consistent rate regardless of how well material was initially learned, other studies argue that this conclusion depends heavily on the analytical approach and the operational definition supplied. Additionally, emerging frameworks, such as the Representation Theory of Forgetting (Sadeh et al., 2014, 2016), propose that different brain regions support distinct types of memory representations, with each governed by separate forgetting mechanisms. This study seeks to examine how the degree of learning affects the rate of forgetting for recognition accuracy (da) and memory processes (recollection and familiarity) over time using Wickelgren’s (1974) model of forgetting. Levels of processing will be manipulated at study, and participants will complete memory tests after five delay intervals across two days. Participants will study material under deep and shallow levels of processing and complete memory tests across five delay intervals. It is predicted that forgetting will have a higher rate when items are encoded shallowly, pointing to the conclusion that forgetting is dependent on initial learning. These findings aim to provide empirical clarity on the long-standing initial learning debate and contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how forgetting operates across memory systems.

Publisher Location

Las Vegas (Nev.)

Publication Date

Fall 11-21-2025

Publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Keywords

forgetting; levels of processing ;recollection; familiarity; recognition memory

Disciplines

Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

File Format

PDF

File Size

467 KB

Permissions

Google Drive\Institutional Repository\OUR_OfficeOfUGResearch\Symposia\2025 Fall Symposium

Comments

Mentor: Colleen Parks

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Examining the Relationship Between the Initial Level of Learning and the Rate of Forgetting


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