As Stephen was filling out a credit card application, he couldn't remember his previous address even though he had lived there for 10 years. Stephen's memory of his current address was interfering with his memory of his old address, which is an example of ____________.
A)encoding failure
B)retroactive interference
C)proactive interference
D)the misinformation effect

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference is when new information interferes with the retrieval of old information. In this case, Stephen's memory of his current address is interfering with his ability to recall his previous address. Encoding failure refers to the failure to initially process information into the memory system, which is not applicable in this scenario. Proactive interference occurs when old information interferes with new information, which is also not applicable in this scenario. The misinformation effect refers to when post-event information distorts one's memory of an event, which is also not applicable in this scenario.

As Stephen Was Filling Out a Credit Card Application, He