explanation for forgetting: retrieval failure

Question 1

how do lack of cues cause retrieval failure?

Answer 1

• when info is first placed in memory, associated cues are stored at the same time
• if the cues are available when trying to recall, memories that are there may not be able to be accessed

Question 2

what is the encoding specificity principal (ESP)

Answer 2

• tulving (1983) suggested cues help retrieval if the same ones are present at encoding (when material is learnt) and at retrieval
• the closer the retrieval cue to the original one,the better the cue works

Question 3

cues having meaning linked to memory

Answer 3

• some cues are linked to the material being remembered in a meaningful way
  (like the cue STM can trigger lots of info about STM)

Question 4

cues having no meaningful link

Answer 4

other cues are encoded at the time of learning but not in a meaningful way:

• context dependant forgetting is when retrieval is dependant on external environmental cues (like weather or places)
• state dependant forgetting is where retrieval is dependant on an internal cue, state of mind (feeling upset or being drunk)

Question 5

Godden and Baddeley (75)
context dependant forgetting:
what is the conclusion of the study?

Answer 5

• this demonstrates context-dependent forgetting because the information was not accessible when context at recall and learning didn’t match

Question 6

Godden and Baddeley (75)
context dependant forgetting:
what is the aim of the study?

Answer 6

• cues were the context where learning and recall took place - on land or underwater

Question 7

Godden and Baddeley (75)
context dependant forgetting:
what is the procedure of the study?

Answer 7

divers learned word lists and then asked to recall them in different places:

• learn on land - recall on water
• learn on land - recall on land
• learn in water - recall on land
• learn in water - recall in water

Question 8

Godden and Baddeley (75)
context dependant forgetting:
what are the findings of the study?

Answer 8

• when the environmental contexts of learning and recall didnt match recall was 40% lower
• when the external cues at learning and recall were different, this led to retrieval failure due to lack of cues

Question 9

+ supporting evidence

Answer 9

Godden and baddeley + Carter and Cassidy support retrieval failure

• Eysenck (10) says retrieval failure is main reason for forgetting LTM
• Increases validity shows it occurs in real life situations and lab conditions

Question 10

• Questioning context effects

Answer 10

Baddeley (97) different contexts have to be very different for effect to be seen

• hard to find environment as different as land and water - learning in one room and recalling in another won’t have much effect
• weak real life application as normal contextual cues don’t have effect

Question 11

Recall vs Recognition

Answer 11

• Godden and Badeley (80) replicate underwater experiment but with recognition test instead of recall
• there was no context dependant effect so performance was same in all conditions
• shows cues only affect memory when tested in a certain way

Question 12

Carter and Cassaday (98) state dependant forgetting:

What was the procedure?

Answer 12

• antihistamine drugs caused drowsiness
• created internal state different from normal
• learn list of prose on or off the drug, then recalled prose on or off the drug

Question 13

Carter and Cassaday (98) state dependant forgetting:

What was the findings?

Answer 13

• mismatch of internal state with learning and recall caused worse recall

(when cues are absent there’s more forgetting)