Explanations for forgetting- Retrieval failure

Question 1

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 1

Failure to retrive infornation can be because of insufficent cues- when the cues are not avaliable at the time of recall, it may appear to you as if you have forgotten the information but in fact it is due yo reterieval failure- not being able to access the memory properly.

Question 2

What is Coding specificity Principle?

Answer 2

Cues were happening when you are learning the information (such as emotional and environmental factors) and you remember these cues when retreiving the information. Therefore the cues have to be present at coding and retrieval.

Question 3

What are the two different types of reterieval failure?

Answer 3

• Context dependent forgetting
• State dependent forgetting

Question 4

What is context dependent forgetting?

Answer 4

You are more likely to remember the information in the settings we learnt them.

Question 5

What is state dependent forgetting?

Answer 5

You need to be in the same state that you were in when you first learnt it.

Question 6

Name two studies that been conducted on retrieval failure?

Answer 6

• Godden and Baddeley (1975)- context-dependent forgetting
• Carter and Cassaday (1998)- state-dependent forgetting

Question 7

Outline Godden and Baddeley (1975)’s study

Answer 7

The divers had to learn the list of words and recall it in these conditions:

1. Learning on land and recalling on land
2. Learning on land and recalling underwater
3. Learning underwater and recalling on land
4. Learning underwater and recalling underwater

Accurate recall was 40% lower in condition 2 and 3 (mismatched context). Reterival failure was due to absence of encoded context cues at the time of recall. Study that evidences context dependent forgetting

Question 8

Outline Carter and Cassaday (1998)’s study

Answer 8

Carter and Cassaday (1998) gave their participants anti-histamine drugs which made particpants drowsy. The participants had to learn lists of words and passages of prose and then recall the information in these conditions:

1. Learn on drug- recall on drug
2. Learn on drug- recall not on drug
3. Learn not on drug- recall on drug
4. Learn not on drug- recall not on drug

Conditions 2 and 3 had the lowest recall. This was when there was a mismatch between internal state at learning and recall, performance on memory test was worse. When cues are absent there is more forgetting. Evidences state-dependent forgetting