In everyday communication, the term "interference" is almost not used, since it is a specialized concept in the field of medical and scientific research of the psychology of human memory. For the first time, the term was introduced when studying the factors of formation of associative relations that affect the storage of various kinds of information.
The concept of interference
This concept in modern science is used to describe the function of memory in the learning process or to obtain new skills. This term is considered as the basis of existing theories about factors that affect the ability to remember and cause forgetfulness of a person.
Based on the available data, we can give the following definition of interference in psychology: this is a phenomenon in which the displaced memorized material under the influence of new information is obtained. The effect of interference is most closely studied in the field of the study of cognitive functions: memory, perception, attention, consolidation of actual skills.
In a general sense, interference in psychology is a state of mutual suppression of processes occurring in parallel in the consciousness of the subject. The reason for this phenomenon may be a limitation of attention and concentration under the influence of external and internal factors.
In social psychology, interference is a conflict between a person’s assessment of the events of the surrounding reality. For example, opposing emotions, moral principles and life priorities.
Classification
A detailed study of the effect of interference is carried out as part of research work in studying the possibilities of memory and the ability to acquire skills in the educational process.
One of the main theories explaining this phenomenon is the work of I.P. Pavlov, devoted to the development of reflex skills. According to this study, a classification can be made based on the ability to memorize primary information and store later acquired information.
Proactive interference
Proactive interference in psychology is a phenomenon of deterioration in the memorization of new material under the influence of already learned information. The subject is having difficulty assimilating new data, as the existing memories influence the storage process. The condition worsens with an increase in volume and detail for storing the originally acquired data. In some cases, proactive interference increases with an increase in general or conceptual similarity between previously familiar and new material.
Retroactive interference
Retroactive interference in psychology is a weakening of the preservation of initial data against the background of a new volume of information. The degree of interaction in this case increases with an increase in the volume of later data. New information is superimposed on existing memories, distorting them or reducing the ability to reproduce accurately.
The explanation of the phenomenon of forgetting is based on the assumption that over time and the arrival of new data, old memories mix with acquired ones. Studies of this memory impairment are rare. Examples include the analysis of witness statements. As part of such an experiment, it was found that the recollections of witnesses to an incident are distorted by repeated repetition of questions and retelling of the event.
Selective interference
In addition to these types, selective interference in psychology is distinguished - this is the interaction of learned and newly obtained material, the absorption of which takes a greater amount of time. This condition manifests itself as a delay in answering the question due to mnemonic processes as a result of the influence of the sound of the word on the concept itself. For example, one example is the task of determining the color of the letters of a word if the word itself is the name of a certain color. Manifestations of selective interference are used to study the functions of perception and understanding.
Skill Interference
Skill is a sequence of actions developed by training or training and brought to automatism. The stability of the skill depends on the properties of memory and reproduction. For a number of professional areas of activity where rapid optimal decisions are needed, certain skills are of particular importance.
As part of the study of the possibilities of reflex memory for data assimilation, a separate concept of skill interference was identified - in psychology, this is the process of transferring skills saved by a person to a new action. The activation of such an action is based on the similarity of attributes of skills, causing the imposition of one skill on another.
In some cases, switching from a habitual skill to an inverted one causes difficulty in performing an action. Such a state indicates that the results are supplanted under the influence of new elements. It was found that the interference of skills is more pronounced when a person’s usual state changes (overwork, illness, exposure to alcohol or medications), as well as in stressful situations (lack of time, nervous strain).
The effect of interference in psychology is used in the study of the ability of consciousness to change activities. If a person abruptly changes one activity to another, the phenomenon of inertia occurs - the previous task interferes with the execution of the next. Such a state when the consciousness cannot be disconnected from a previously performed work deprives a person of up to 20% of his working capacity, compared with when the tasks are performed separately or with a certain period of time.
Factors Affecting Interference
Based on the collected experimental material, the general features and factors of the formation of the effect of memory interference are revealed:
- The degree of similarity between the original and subsequent material for memorization. This criterion can be expressed in various parameters: sound, spelling, meaning, similarity of task or performance, associative coincidence.
- The volume and complexity of the main and later material.
- The degree of memorization of information is literal reproduction or preservation of meaning.
- The time interval between data assimilation or tasks performed.
Interference study
When studying the phenomenon of memory interference using the assimilation of textual information, it was found that the classical effect of inhibition of memorization is manifested only in situations similar to typical research methods: sequential memorization and reproduction of two text fragments or separate sentences.
In other cases, working with textual material does not meet the definition of pro- and retroactive interference. Forgetting is expressed not simply in a partial loss of information, but in the form of a replacement of the literal content or modification of the semantic component.
The specificity of memorizing textual material is associated with the formation in the mind of a certain semantic scheme, which should correspond to the individual human knowledge system. Aspects of textual information that are not compatible with it are ignored or transformed when memorized. The nature of the assimilation of textual data can complement the general theory of thinking and memory.
Thus, interference in psychology is the inhibition of storing and storing data in long-term memory, as a result of comparing information received and stored in memory, based on associative connections.