Retrieval failure

Retrieval failure

1. When info is initally placed in memory, associated cues are stored at the same time. If these cues are not available at the time of recall, you might not be abe to access the memory.

2. some cues have meaning linked to the memory.

3. Godden and Baddeley (1975) context-dependent forgetting: Procedure: Cues were the context where learning and recall took place (on land or underwater). Deep sea divers learned word lists and was asked later to recall them. Group 1 learned on land and recalled on land, Group 2 learned on land and recalled underwater, group 3 learned underwater and recalled on land and group 4 learned underwater and recalled underwater. Findings: When the environmental contexts of learning and recall did not match accurate recall was 40% lower than when they did match. When the external cues did not match it lead to retrieval failure due to the lack of cues.

4. Some cues have no meaningful link; Context-dependent forgetting: when memory retrieval is dependent on an external/environmental cue. State-dependent forgetting: when memory retrieval is dependent on an internal cue, state of mind.

5. Encoding specificity principle: The closer retrieval cue to the original cue, the better the cue works.

   • Tulving (1983) suggested that cues help retrieval if the same cues are presented at encoding and at retrieval.

6. There is a lot of evidence to support this explanation of forgetting: - Eydrnck (2010) goes as far to argue that retrieval failure is the main reason of forgetting. - supporting evidence increases the validity of the explanation.

7. Context effects are not that strong in real life: - Baddeley (1966) argued that the context has to be very different before an effect is seen. - Environments have to be very different. - Real life applications of retrieval failure due to contextual cues dont explain much forgetting.

8. ESP can not be tested and leads to circular reasoning: - when a cue produces successful recall we assume the cue was successful, if a cue doesnt result is successful recall we assume recall was not encoded at the time of learning. - There is no way to establish wheter or not the cue has really been encoded.

9. Context-dependent cues have useful everyday application: - People often experience forgetting when going downstairs to get something but can't remember the item then when going back upstairs they remember again. - When we have trouble remembering it is best to go back to the environment when you first experienced the thought. - Often used in the congitive interview when getting eyewitnesses to recall information using context reinstatement.