explanations for forgetting - retrieval failure

Question 1

what is meant by the retrieval failure?

Answer 1

not being able to access memories that are available

Question 2

what happens if specific cues are not available during recall what may happen?

Answer 2

retrieval failure.

Question 3

what is the Encoding Specific Principle (ESP)?

Answer 3

• Tulving (1983) found a pattern called ESP -a cue must be present during encoding and retrieval - forgetting will occur if not available at both

Question 4

context dependent forgetting - Godden and Baddeley study

Answer 4

• Godden and Baddeley studies deep-sea divers
• the divers had to remember instructions given before diving about their work underwater.
  STUDY ON EXTERNAL CUES

Question 5

what are external cues?

Answer 5

a cue that directs the attention away from the clients body

Question 6

context dependent forgetting - Godden and Baddeley study -PROCEDURE

Answer 6

• divers had to learn list of words on land of underwater and then recall on land or underwater.
  1. learn on land - recall on land
  2. learn on land - recall underwater
  3. learn underwater - recall underwater
  4. learn underwater - recall on land

Question 7

context dependent forgetting - Godden and Baddeley study - FINDINGS

Answer 7

accurate recall was 40% lower in non-matching conditions
- external cues available at learning were different from ones at recall so led to retrieval failure.

Question 8

state dependent forgetting - Carter and Cassaday (1998) study

Answer 8

STUDY ON INTERNAL CUES

Question 9

state dependent forgetting - Carter and Cassaday (1998) study - PROCEDURE

Answer 9

• gave hay fever drugs to participants that made them drowsy. they had to learn words and recall
  1. learn on drug - recall on drug
  2. learn on drug - recall off drug
  3. learn off drug - recall off drug
  4. learn off drug - recall on drug

Question 10

state dependent forgetting - Carter and Cassaday (1998) study - FINDINGS

Answer 10

• recall was best when learning and recall were the same. when cues were absent forgetting increased

Question 11

Explanations for forgetting : Retrieval Failure EVALUATION - supporting evidence

Answer 11

• research support from studies such as Godden and Baddeley and Carter and Cassaday
• Eysenck (2010) argue retrieval failure is main reason for forgetting from LTM

Question 12

Explanations for forgetting : Retrieval Failure EVALUATION - questioning context effects

Answer 12

Baddeley (1997) argues context effects are not strong (especially in real life) - contexts have to be very different before an effect is seen.
- e.g. leaning in one room and recalling in another is unlikely to result in forgetting as environments are not too different.

Question 13

Explanations for forgetting : Retrieval Failure EVALUATION - recall VS recognition

Answer 13

• Context effect only relates to type of memory tested
• Godden and Baddeley (1980) repeated their experiment but words were read to them instead of recalled. they had to say when they recognise a word read to them - performance was same in all conditions

Question 14

Explanations for forgetting : Retrieval Failure EVALUATION - problems with ESP

Answer 14

• ESP cannot be tested
• when cue produces successful recall - assume cue must have been encoded at time of learning, or not with unsuccessful recall.
• these are just assumptions - there is no way to know if cue has been encoded or not.

Question 15

Explanations for forgetting : Retrieval Failure EVALUATION - real life applications

Answer 15

• Baddeley suggest context-related cues are worth paying attention to.
  e.g. going from your bedroom downstairs to get something, forgetting and them remembering when back in bedroom