Brianna has just asked a new friend, Tim, for his phone number and is repeating it to herself in her head. Tim then asks her a question about her plans for later in the day, and she forgets his phone number. What process was she using to remember his phone number, and why did she forget?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Brianna was using maintenance rehearsal, which involves repeating information in your head to maintain it in short-term memory. However, she forgot the phone number due to an interruption in her rehearsal, which is a common reason for forgetting information stored in short-term memory. This is known as interference theory, and specifically in this case, it is an example of retroactive interference, where new information interferes with the ability to remember previously learned information.

Brianna Has Just Asked a New Friend, Tim, for His