Which term describes the interference effect where new information disrupts the recall of old information?

The term that best describes the phenomenon where new information disrupts the recall of previously learned information is retroactive interference. Retroactive interference occurs when new memories compete with and thus impair the retrieval of older memories. This is commonly observed when someone learns new information that is similar to what they already know, making it harder to access the older information.

For example, if a person learns a new phone number, they might struggle to remember their old phone number due to the new information interfering with the retrieval process. This highlights how our memory system can be influenced by the information we encounter after an initial learning episode, effectively overshadowing or blocking the retrieval of the older memories.