Why We Made This:
Forgetting is one of the most misunderstood yet critically important concepts in psychology. Many folks, when studying for the EPPP, struggle to differentiate among various memory theories—especially when asked to apply them under pressure. Terms like proactive interference, trace decay, or context-dependent memory are often memorized but not fully grasped. We created this PDF to break down the major theories of forgetting into digestible, practical, and memorable explanations. Using real-life examples, visual devices, and EPPP-specific applications, this PDF clarifies what causes us to forget and how we can retain information more effectively. It’s designed to make memory science easier to learn—and harder to forget.
 
Learning Objectives:
Define and distinguish between key theories of forgetting, including interference theory, trace decay theory, and retrieval failure.
Differentiate retroactive interference (new learning disrupts old) from proactive interference (old learning disrupts new) using real-world examples
Understand the serial position effect and its two components—primacy and recency effects—and how they affect memory recall.
Explain the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve and the rate at which memory declines without rehearsal.
Describe retrieval failure theory and how insufficient cues, emotional states, or environmental contexts can block recall.
Learn the difference between maintenance rehearsal (shallow repetition) and elaborative rehearsal (deep, meaningful encoding).
Use memory-enhancing strategies like acronyms, acrostics, chunking, the method of loci, and encoding specificity.
Apply context-dependent, state-dependent, and emotion-dependent learning strategies to improve recall during high-stakes tests.
Identify how test anxiety and sleep levels affect memory performance and implement targeted strategies to improve retention under pressure.