explanations for forgetting: Retrieval failure Flashcards
what is the meaning of retrieval failure?
-dont have necessary cues to access memories already there
What is a cue?
-a trigger of information that allows us to access a memory
What did Tulving say about encoding specificty princple?
-found a pattern to findings of retrieval failure
-states that if a cue (is going to be helpful) it has to be both present at encoding(learning the material) and present at retrieval (when recalling)
-if cues are different or if cues absent retrieval then foregtting occur
how can cues be encoded meaningfully?
-the cue STM may lead u to recall all sorts of info ab short term memory
-used in mnemonic techniques
what are exmaples of non meaningful cues?
-context dependant forgetting- recall depends on external cue (weather or place)
-state dependant forgetting- recall depends on internal cue(feeling upset, being drunk)
what was the procedure for research on context dependant forgetting?
-Godden and Baddeley studied deep sea divers who went underwater to see if training on land helped or hindered their work underwater
-divers learnt words either underwater or on land and asked to recall on land underwater
what were the conditions for context dependant forgetting?
-learn on land - recall on land
-learn on land - recall underwater
-learn underwater- recall on land
-learn underwater- recall underwater
what were the findings of context dependant forgetting?
-accurate recall was 40% lower in non matching conditons
-concluded that external cues available at learning were diff from the ones avaibale at recall - leading to retrieval failure
what were procedures in the research on state dependant forgetting?
-carter and cassaday have antihistamine drugs for treating hayfever to Ps
-mild sedative effect making Ps drowsy
-internal physiological state different from ‘normal’ state of being alert
-had to learn diff word lists in diff conditons
what were the 4 conditions in the state dependant forgetting?
-learn on drug= recall when on drug
-learn on drug= recall when not on drug
-learn not on drug= recall when on drug
-learn not on drug- recall when not on drug
what were the findings of research on state dependant forgetting?
-if there was difference in internal state at learning and at recall
-performance on memory test was worse
-e.g when cues are absent e.g u are drowsy when recalling info but alert learning it then theres more forgetting
what are the strengths of retrieval failure?
(real world app)
-cues have a strong effect on forgetting
-experience when we have to say we must get something from another room and u must get another item from another room
-u go to the other room only to forget what u wanted
-but when u go back to first room u remember again
-when u find it hard to remember smth u should go back to the first room
-stratgies we use in real world to help recall
(research support)
-Godden and baddeley, carter and cassaday that show relevant cues at recall lead to context dpendant and state dependant.
-eyseneck and keane argue that retrieval failure perhaps the main reason for foegtting from LTM
-retrieval failure occurs IRL and lab
what are the limitations of retrieval failure?
(counterpoint research support)
-context effects arent really strong IRL
-diff contexts have to be really diff for an effect to be seen
-hard to find an env as different to land as underwater
-in contrast leanring smth in one room and recalling in another, may not cause much forgetting bc env’s arent diff enough
-retrieval failure due to lack of cues may not explain much everyday forgetting
(recall vs recogniton)
-godden and baddeley replicated their underwater experiment but used recognition test instead recall
-Ps had to say if they recognised a word read from the list instead of retrieving it for themselves
-when recognition was tested there was no context dependant effect, performance the same in all 4 conditons
-so retrieval failure is a limited explanation for forgetting bc it only applies to recall rather than recogniton
