Linear Forgetting

The aim of this thesis was to explore a long-term memory retention function that deviates from the typical Ebbinghaus pattern of a sharp initial decrease that slows at a negatively accelerated rate. This pattern, commonly fit to a power function, has been observed across a variety of stimuli, tasks, and retention lengths. However, a recent study by Radvansky, O’Rear, and Fisher (2017) has revealed a retention function for event-based sentences that shows little forgetting through the first week before dropping quickly. This thesis tested the robustness of this pattern under a similar design and over an extended retention period of eight weeks. Results revealed a retention pattern that fell at a consistent linear rate across time. The possibility that this is due to a standard forgetting process involving multiple event components, partial matching or reconstruction at retrieval, and the passage of time is discussed, along with proposals for further studies.