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Articles related to focusing on healthy aging, prevention, mobility, cognition, nutrition, independence, and caregiving support.

4 min

What is the decay theory of memory and forgetting?

In the late 19th century, psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted pioneering research on forgetting, which led to the development of the decay theory. This theory, also known as trace decay theory, proposes that memory traces fade and become less accessible over time if they are not actively recalled, rehearsed, or used.

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4 min

What is Brown's theory of decay?: Understanding Memory & Aging

In the mid-20th century, psychology was dominated by interference theory, but a groundbreaking 1958 paper challenged this view. John Brown's theory of decay proposes that memory traces fade and are forgotten over time, particularly in short-term memory, which has significant implications for how we understand memory loss as we age.

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