In this party example, it is the time gap between when you meet your new acquaintance and, later, when you find yourself in need of her name, that makes for forgetfulness. In a series of earlier experiments starting in the 1970s, however, Robert Bjork found other ways to disorient his research subjects on their paths to a desired memory. For instance, introducing confusing or irrelevant inputs, à la McGeoch, or changing their sensory cues – sights, sounds, and smells that might trigger a memory – by asking them to recall information in new surroundings. Regardless of how forgetfulness came about, when overcome it led to stronger, longer-lasting memories.
