When critically considering the explanations of forgetting in Long Term Memory , I must first define the two areas in which forgetting in Long Term Memory (LTM) falls into. The first of these areas is 'availability'. Availability is also known as 'the tip of the tongue' phenomenon. This is when the information needed is available, but not accessible.
             One explanation of the failure of availability information in LTM is through interference. This is when a similar piece of information that has been previously stored in the LTM, interferes with a certain memory that is being attempted to retrieve, and therefore distorts it.
             Another explanation of the failure of availability is the idea of displacing information. This occurs when an established memory gets 'pushed aside' by a new memory, as there is not a capacity to house both. A criticism of the displacement theory is that it implies that the human mind is like a machine, and that the mind has a limited capacity for the amount of memories that can be stored.
             One explanation of the inability to access information is through retrieval cues. A failure to use a retrieval cue is basically the mismatch between the cue and the initial encoding from the stimulus. One major criticism of the retrieval cue theory is that the research is based on artificial grounds, and the fact that the idea lacked ecological validity in the first place.
             Another explanation of forgetting through accessibility in LTM is the under-processing in the first place. If information is under-processed it can be lost through decay or displacement, however, some traces can be still left behind.
             2. Outline the findings and conclusions of Loftus and Palmer eye witness testimony. (6 Marks)
             In Loftus and Palmer's study into eyewitness testimony and the recall of circumstances the first group's mean estimate of speed was around 10.5 mph. The second group in the experiment had a mean speed estimate o
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