When you recount your experience at the job interview, one of your friends mentions that your recollection this time differed from your recollection the first time you told the story. They mentioned that since you received the internship offer, you recounted many more details that implied that the interviewer wanted to hire you. Which term best explains this effect?Single choice
A
The spreading activation of the semantic network
B
False memory
C
Retroactive interference
D
Misinformation effect

Question

When you recount your experience at the job interview, one of your friends mentions that your recollection this time differed from your recollection the first time you told the story. They mentioned that since you received the internship offer, you recounted many more details that implied that the interviewer wanted to hire you. Which term best explains this effect?Single choice

A

The spreading activation of the semantic network

B

False memory

C

Retroactive interference

D

Misinformation effect

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Retroactive interference occurs when newly learned information disrupts the recall of previously encoded memories, so the later event (receiving the internship offer) changes how you remember the earlier interview.

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Retroactive interference: new memories impair retrieval of older memories.
- Misinformation effect: memory distortion caused by exposure to misleading post-event information (often suggested by others).
- False memory: a memory of an event that did not occur or is distorted; a broader category that can arise from many mechanisms.
- Spreading activation: a retrieval model in semantic networks where activating one concept activates related nodes; explains associative retrieval, not interference from new learning.

2) Step-by-step reasoning
- Initial memory: your original recollection of the interview (first telling).
- New event/information: you receive the internship offer.
- Subsequent recall: when retelling later, you include extra details that imply the interviewer wanted to hire you.
- Mechanism: the new information (offer) is encoded and competes with or modifies the older memory trace, leading to altered retrieval of the original interview details.

3) Intermediate “steps” (no numeric calculations, but logical steps)
- Encode memory A: interview experience (initial recall).
- Encode memory B: internship offer (later event).
- During retrieval of memory A after B exists, features of B influence reconstruction of A → altered memory content biased toward congruence with B.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
Retroactive interference specifically describes how later learning (getting the offer) changes or disrupts recall of earlier events (the interview), producing a different recollection that incorporates elements consistent with the later outcome. The pattern—original account changes after a subsequent related experience—matches retroactive interference.

5) Why other options are incorrect
- Spreading activation: explains how related concepts are retrieved, not why later events alter earlier memories.
- False memory: too general; it names the result (an inaccurate memory) but not the mechanism caused by later learning.
- Misinformation effect: requires misleading post-event information (usually external suggestion); here the alteration stems from new outcome knowledge rather than external misleading details.

6) Conclusion
The best term explaining the change in your recollection after receiving the offer is Retroactive interference, which matches the provided answer.