Shalissa has two exams today. One is in French and the other is in history. Last night she studied French before history. When she gets to her history test, all she can remember is French! Shalissa's memory is suffering from ________.
A) cue-dependent forgetting
B) proactive interference
C) decay
D) retroactive interference

Question

Shalissa has two exams today. One is in French and the other is in history. Last night she studied French before history. When she gets to her history test, all she can remember is French! Shalissa's memory is suffering from ________.
A) cue-dependent forgetting
B) proactive interference 
C) decay
D) retroactive interference

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information interferes with the ability to learn or recall new information, which is what is happening in this scenario. Shalissa's memory of French is interfering with her ability to recall information from her history studies.

Shalissa Has Two Exams Today