explanations for forgetting: retrieval failure

Question 1

Encoding Specificity Principle

Answer 1

Tulving (1983) - reviewed research into retrieval failure & summarised a pattern called the’ Encoding Specificity Principle

• if a cue is to help us recall information it has to be present at encoding & at retrieval

Question 2

Why do we forget according to the theory?

Answer 2

due to a lack of cues
- linked to meaningfully to the information to be remembered
- not linked meaningfully to the information to be remembered

Question 3

How do we encode information when we learn it?

Answer 3

• encode context (external cues )
• mental state we are in ( internal cues)

Question 4

Context dependant forgetting

Answer 4

Can occur when the environment during recall is different from the environment you were in when you were learning ( eg = room you are in)

Question 5

Context dependant forgetting: Godden & Baddeley (1975) - aim

Answer 5

investigate the effect of environment on recall

Question 6

Context dependant forgetting: Godden & Baddeley (1975) - procedure

Answer 6

• 18 divers from a diving club were asked to learn lists of 36 unrelated words in 4 different conditions
  
  1. learn & recall on the beach = 13.5
  2. learn on the beach & recall under water = 8.6
  3. learn under water & recall on the beach = 8.5
  4. learn & recall under water = 11.4

Question 7

Context dependant forgetting: Godden & Baddeley (1975) - conclusions

Answer 7

• when divers recalled and learnt in the same environment the recall overall was better
• the recall was lower when they learnt and recalled in different environments

Question 8

Evaluation of Godden & Baddeley (1975) - high ecological validity (strength)

Answer 8

• not a lab study
• no artificial stimuli, controlled environment etc.

Question 9

Evaluation of Godden & Baddeley (1975) - lack of control variable (weakness)

Answer 9

• on a beach/underwater which means there are a lot more variables that can’t be controlled
• may affect the results of the study

Question 10

State-dependant forgetting

Answer 10

occurs when your mood or physiological state during recall is different from the mood you were when learning

Question 11

State-dependant forgetting : Goodwin et al (1969) - procedure

Answer 11

• 48 volunteer male medical students participated and randomly assigned to 4 groups
• GROUP 1 = sober on both days
• GROUP 2 = intoxicated on both days
• GROUP 3 = intoxicated on day 1 and sober day 2
  GROUP 4 = sober on day 1 and intoxicated on day 2
• they then had to perform 4 tests : avoidance task , verbal rote-learning task , word-association test & picture recognition

Question 12

State-dependant forgetting : Goodwin et al (1969) - results

Answer 12

• more errors made on day 2 in the AS and SA condition than AA or SS conditions (40% lower)

Question 13

State-dependant forgetting : Goodwin et al (1969) - conclusions

Answer 13

SS & AA recall & learning had the best recall

Question 14

Evaluation of Goodwin et al (1969) : ecological validity (strength)

Answer 14

• not a lab study so no artificial stimuli
• an everyday situation so it can be generalised to everyday life easily

Question 15

Evaluation of Goodwin et al (1969) : control of variables (weakness)

Answer 15

• more natural environment so less control over variables
• more difficult to establish cause & effect

Question 16

Evaluation of retrieval failure: real-world application (strength)

Answer 16

• although context cues don’t have a huge effect on forgetting it is still worth using & paying attention to
• For example, they may not help you pass an exam ) but they may help you remember why you went upstairs to get something.

Question 17

Evaluation of retrieval failure: supporting evidence (strength)

Answer 17

• Godden & Baddeley = divers study
• Goodwin et al = drunk/sober medical students
• all support the validity of the explanations of forgetting (retrieval failure) & both have high ecological validity
• Eysenck (2010) says retrieval failure is the main reason we forget

Question 18

Evaluation of retrieval failure: questioning context effects (weakness)

Answer 18

• Baddeley says that context effects aren’t very strong especially in real-life
• different contexts have to be very different for it to work such as land or water but changing rooms isn’t enough
• explanations don’t explain forgetting in the LTM

Question 19

Evaluation of retrieval failure: recall vs recognition (weakness)

Answer 19

• context effect may only be related to the kind of memory being used
• Godden & Baddeley looked at recall not recognition & when they did they found no context dependant effect & performance was the same in all 4
• the presence or absence of cues only affects memory when you test it in a certain way

Question 20

Evaluation of retrieval failure: problems with the encoding specificity principle (weakness)

Answer 20

• some say this can’t actually really be tested
• because we can’t actually test if the cue was there at encoding
• meaning we can’t establish if the cues have been encoded