Migueles, M. & García-Bajos, E.
University of the Basque Country
This study examines retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) using personal retrospective or prospective life experiences. In the study phase, following a variant of the Crovitz method, participants were given hints to produce autobiographical experiences of their past or to think in experiences that may occur in their future. In both conditions half of the life experiences were positive and the rest negative. In the retrieval practice phase participants retrieved half of the positive or negative experiences using cued recall or they retrieved capitals of the world (control groups). In the final phase the participants tried to recall all the experiences. Although there was a tendency to remember more positive than negative experiences, there were no significant differences in the recall of both types of experiences. In addition, there were no differences between remembering past or future events. Retrieval practice produced two main effects: facilitation for practiced experiences and inhibition for non-practiced experiences when compared to the control groups which performed no retrieval practice. An interesting aspect that may have practical implications is that selective retrieval practice leads to greater inhibition of negative than positive experiences.