Ebbinghaus forgot materials very rapidly, but most college students forget the same materials much more slowly. Why?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information interferes with the ability to learn new information. Ebbinghaus was using nonsense syllables, which by definition do not have any meaningful connections to existing knowledge, so he was more susceptible to proactive interference. College students, on the other hand, have more prior knowledge and experience with the types of information they are learning, which helps them better assimilate new information and reduces the impact of proactive interference. The other answer choices are not supported by the information in the question.

Ebbinghaus Forgot Materials Very Rapidly, but Most College Students Forget