What is referred to as proactive interference?

Proactive interference specifically refers to the phenomenon where previously learned information disrupts the ability to recall new information. When individuals experience proactive interference, they struggle to remember recent or new material because the old information they have learned earlier interferes with retrieval. This type of interference emphasizes how our memory system can be impacted by the contents already stored, making it difficult to differentiate between old and new information.

In contrast, the other choices describe different aspects of memory challenges. Forgetting from a lack of attention relates to encoding failures, where information never makes it into long-term memory due to insufficient focus at the time of learning. Forgetting caused by the introduction of new information is known as retroactive interference, where new learning hinders the recall of previously learned information. Lastly, forgetting due to distractions during testing usually pertains to situational factors affecting performance, rather than the interference of old memories with new ones.