Retroactive interference, as used in the study of memory, refers to when _________.

A) older information already in memory interferes with the retrieval of newer information
B) newer information interferes with the retrieval of older information
C) information is not attended to and fails to be encoded
D) information that is not accessed decays from the storage system over time

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the retrieval of older information. This can happen when similar or related information is learned after the original information was stored in memory, making it more difficult to access the original information later. Option A is incorrect because it describes proactive interference, which is the opposite of retroactive interference. Options C and D are incorrect because they do not relate to interference in memory retrieval.