Explanation for Forgetting: Retrieval Failure

Question 1

What causes retrieval failure?

Answer 1

Absences of cues

Question 2

Why can lack of cues cause retrieval failure?

Answer 2

• When storing information in your memory, associated cues are stored at the same time
• If cues are not available at time of recall may not be able to access memories

Question 3

Who proposed the encoding specificity principle?

Answer 3

Tulving (1983)

Question 4

What does the encoding specificity principle suggest?

Answer 4

• Cues help retrieve if the same cues are present at encoding
• The closer to retrieval cue to the original cue, the better the cue works

Question 5

FINISH THE SENTENCE: Some cues have meaning linked to….

Answer 5

Your memory

Question 6

Why may some cues have no meaningful link?

Answer 6

• Other cues encoded at the same time of learning
• Context-dependent forgetting
• State-dependent forgetting

Question 7

What is state-dependent forgetting?

Answer 7

When memory retrieval is dependent on an internal cue (state of mind)

Question 8

What is context-dependent forgetting?

Answer 8

When memory retrieval is dependent on an external cue (e.g weather or a place)

Question 9

Who studied into context-dependent forgetting?

Answer 9

Godden and Baddeley (1975)

Question 10

What was Godden and Baddeley (1975) procedure?

Answer 10

• Group 1: Learn on land - recall on land
• Group 2: Learn on land - recall underwater
• Group 3: Learn underwater - recall on land
• Group 4: Learn underwater - recall underwater

Question 11

What was the findings of Godden and Baddeley (1975)?

Answer 11

• With recall and learning being different accurate recall was 40%
• When recall and learning matched accurate recall was higher

Question 12

Why did Godden and Baddeley’s research show context-dependent forgetting?

Answer 12

Information was not accessible when context at recall did not match context at learning

Question 13

What did Eysenck (2010) claim about retrieval failure?

Answer 13

Retrieval failure is the main reason for forgetting

Question 14

Why does retrieval failure have a high validity?

Answer 14

-Real-life situation and highly controlled lab studies have supported this explanation

Question 15

Who argued that context effects are actually not very strong in real life?

Answer 15

Baddeley (1966)

Question 16

What did Baddeley (1966) say about the differences in the context in order to see an effect on accurate recall?

Answer 16

There must be a very large difference (e.g land and underwater)

Question 17

Why is context effects only occurring when the memory being tested in a certain way a limitation?

Answer 17

Godden and Baddeley (1980) replicated their study of recall on land or underwater but changed the recall test to recognition test. There was no difference, so context-dependent forgetting can only be used recall and not recognition

Question 18

What is a limitation to encoding specificity principle?

Answer 18

That you cannot independently establish that whether or not the cue has really been encoded

Question 19

What is a strength of context-related cues?

Answer 19

• Useful everyday application

- Used in cognitive interview (Context reinstatement)