Which concept refers to when new learning disrupts the recall of previous information?

The concept of retroactive interference refers to the phenomenon where new information interferes with the ability to recall previously learned information. This occurs because the more recent learning can overwrite or complicate the storage of older memories. For instance, if someone learns a new phone number, they might struggle to recall their old phone number because the new information has interfered with the retrieval of the previous one.

In contrast, proactive interference is when older memories make it difficult to learn or remember new information, which highlights that the disruption in memory can also occur in the opposite direction. Decaying pathways, while relevant to memory, specifically pertains to the gradual loss of memory traces over time rather than interference between new and old information. Memory processing encompasses the overall activities involved in encoding, storing, and retrieving memories, but it does not specifically denote any interference between new and previous learning. Thus, retroactive interference is the term that specifically captures the essence of new learning disrupting the recall of older information.