What term refers to forgetting due to information that disrupts recall?

• A. Social Stratification
• B. Spreading Activation
• C. Primacy Effect
• D. Interference

Answer: (D)

Interference is the idea that forgetting happens when other information gets in the way of recalling what you’re trying to remember. It explains why you might mix up similar memories or recently learned material with older memories. There are two common forms: proactive interference, where older information makes it harder to learn or recall newer material, and retroactive interference, where newer information disrupts recall of something learned earlier. For example, after learning a new locker combination, you might struggle to remember your old one because the new sequence competes in memory.

By contrast, the primacy effect is about better recall of initial items on a list due to more rehearsal, spreading activation describes how thinking of one concept activates related concepts in a network, and social stratification refers to social hierarchy.