explanations for forgetting- retrieval failure

Question 1

explain retrieval failure due to the absence of cues

Answer 1

when cues are not available. When info is initially put in memory, associated cues are placed at the same time but when they’re not there we forget.

Question 2

explain the encoding specificity principle

Answer 2

Tulving (1983)
- a cue has to be both present at encoding and also present at retrieval

Question 3

what are two non-meaningful cues

Answer 3

context-dependant forgetting - recall depends on external cues

state-dependant forgetting- recall depends on internal cue

Question 4

explain research on context dependant forgetting

Answer 4

procedure: Godden and Baddeley (1975)
- studied deep sea divers who work underwater to see if training on land helped or hindered their work underwater
- learned list of words either underwater/on land and recalled either under water/on land

Findings: external cues available at learning were different from the ones available at recall which led to retrieval failure.