Retroactive interference as a function of degree of interpolated study without overt retrieval practice

Abstract

In two experiments, retroactive interference (RI) was examined under conditions designed to minimize retrieval-induced inhibition and output interference. In Experiment 1, the participants first learned a list of 10 person-location pairs, after which they viewed an interpolated list with the same person terms and different locations for one, four, or eight cycles. Learning was via a study-only method, so that the experimental participants did not perform instructed retrieval of the second list before a cued recall test that asked for List 1 locations only. The experimental participants in Experiment 2 received incidental learning instructions and then viewed a list of 20 unrelated words followed by another list presented either one or four times; the first two letters of each List 1 word were provided on the critical recall test. In both experiments, RI occurred and increased with degree of interpolation. The results suggest that RI does not require retrieval-induced inhibition.