In high school, Deanna took three years of Spanish. In university, she signed up for a French course. When required to speak in French during class discussion with her teacher and classmates, Deanna frequently responds with Spanish words instead of French words. This is one example of

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information interferes with the ability to learn and recall new information. In Deanna's case, the Spanish vocabulary she learned in high school is interfering with her ability to recall and use French vocabulary in university. Retroactive interference would occur if Deanna's new French vocabulary interfered with her ability to recall and use her previously learned Spanish vocabulary. Blocking refers to the inability to retrieve a memory even though it is stored in memory, and decay refers to the gradual fading of a memory over time.

In High School, Deanna Took Three Years of Spanish