Single correct option
It is tempting to treat forgetting as a simple failure of memory — a bug in an otherwise well-designed cognitive system. But a growing body of research in computational neuroscience suggests forgetting may instead be an adaptive feature, actively regulated by the brain rather than merely the passive decay of unused information. Selectively weakening memories that are outdated, contradicted by newer information, or simply irrelevant to current goals allows an organism to generalise more effectively from past experience rather than being paralysed by an ever-growing archive of increasingly obsolete specifics. On this view, an organism that forgot nothing would not be cognitively superior to one that forgets selectively; it would instead struggle to extract the general patterns that make new experience useful at all.
- A. Forgetting is always harmful and researchers are seeking ways to prevent it.
- B. Memory decay is a purely passive biological process with no adaptive value.
- C. Selective forgetting may be an actively regulated, adaptive process that helps an organism generalise from experience rather than a mere defect in memory.
- D. An organism that never forgets anything would have superior cognitive abilities to one that forgets selectively.
Show answer and solution
Answer: (C) Selective forgetting may be an actively regulated, adaptive process that helps an organism generalise from experience rather than a mere defect in memory.
The paragraph argues forgetting 'may instead be an adaptive feature, actively regulated by the brain,' helping organisms 'generalise more effectively.' This matches C. A contradicts the paragraph's reframing; B contradicts 'actively regulated' vs 'passive decay'; D is explicitly denied in the final sentence.
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