Explanations for forgetting: Retrieval failure Flashcards
1
Q
What is Retrieval failure?
A
- A form of forgetting which occurs when we don’t have the necessary cues to access memory
- Memory is available but not accessible until cue is provided
2
Q
What are cues?
A
- A ‘trigger’ of information that allows us to access a memory.
Include indirect external or internal cues
3
Q
What is Tulving’s encoding specificity principle?
A
- This states that a cue has to be both present at encoding and present at retrieval for it to be helpful
4
Q
Give an example of cues encoded in a meaningful way
A
mnemonic techniques
5
Q
Give two examples of non meaningful cues
A
- context-dependent forgetting- recall depends on external cue (weather or place)
- State dependent forgetting- recall depends on internal cue (being upset etc)
6
Q
Who did research on context-dependent forgetting?
A
Godden & Baddeley
7
Q
Outline Godden & Baddeley’s procedure
A
- studied deep sea divers who work underwater to see if training on land helped or hindered their work underwater
- 4 conditions:
-learn on land- recall on land
-learn on land- recall underwater
-learn underwater- recall underwater
-learn underwater- recall on land
8
Q
What were Godden & Baddeley’s findings?
A
- In two of these conditions the environmental contexts of learning & recall matched
- accurate recall was 40% lower in the non-matching conditions which led to retrieval failure
- this was due to difference in external cue at learning & recall
9
Q
Who did research on state-dependent forgetting?
A
Carter & Cassaday
10
Q
Outline Carter & Cassaday’s procedure
A
- gave antihistamine drugs to their participants
- created an internal psychological state different from the ‘normal’ state of being awake & alert
- 4 conditions:
-learn on drug-recall on drug
-learn on drug- recall when not on drug
-learn not on drug-recall on drug
-learn not on drug - recall not on drug
11
Q
What were Carter & Cassaday’s findings?
A
- conditions were there was a mismatch between internal state at learning and recall performance on memory test= significantly worse
12
Q
What is a strength of retrieval cues in terms of real- world application?
A
- RC >help to overcome some forgetting in everyday situations
- Baddeley suggested they’re worth paying attention to
- e.g. all had experience of being in one room & thinking I need to get something from another room
- go to other room and forget what you wanted but the moment you go back to original room we remember
- context dependent forgetting =credible
- reminds us of strategies used in real life to improve recall
13
Q
What is a strength of retrieval failure explanation in terms of research to support?
A
- impressive range of research that supports
- studies by Godden & Baddeley & Carter & Cassaday show that a lack of relevant cues at recall can lead to context & state dependent forgetting
- Memory researchers argue that retrieval failure is main reason for forgetting in the LTM
- shows retrieval failure occurs in real world situations
14
Q
What is a counter point to research supporting retrieval failure as an explanation?
A
- Baddeley argues that context effects are actually not very strong especially in everyday life
- different contexts have to be very different before an effect is seen
- e.g. learning something in one room & recalling it in another is unlikely to result in much forgetting > environments generally not different enough
- retrieval failure may not explain much everyday forgetting
15
Q
What is a limitation of retrieval failure?
A
- context effects may depend on the type of memory being tested
- Godden & Baddeley replicated their underwater experiment but used a recognition test instead of recall
- p’s had to say whether they recognised a word read to them from a list
- no context-dependent forgetting=performance same
- limited explanation retrieval failure only applies when a person has to recall not recognise
