Forgetting

• If our memories are too precise and overfitted, then we can’t actually use them to make predictions about future situations
• Forgetting is an essential component of adaptive system
• Simple memories that store the gist of our experiences and avoid complicated details will be better for generalizing to future events.
• orgetting has been regarded as a passive decay over time of the information stored in the memory.

Passive Forgetting

• Concepts stored in the memory can be forgotten “passively” based on: Decay over time (fading factor)
• Loss of context cue
• Retrieval interference

Active Forgetting

• may be more potent at erasing memory than the passive forgetting mechanisms Motivated forgetting
• forgetting is often more intentional
• unpleasant memories (categories) Intrinsic forgetting
• redundant data Interference-based forgetting samples that cause interference