Explanations for forgetting: Retrieval failure Flashcards
What is retrieval failure?
When lack of cues at time of retrieval can lead to the inability to access memories
What is the encoding specificity principle?
When cues help retrieval if the same ones are present at both encoding and at retrieval
What is context dependant forgetting?
recall depends on the external cue, such as the place where encoding occurred
What is state dependent forgetting?
recall depends on internal cues, the state you were in , such as being drunk or feeling tired
What did Godden and Baddeley (1975) find in their procedure?
Retrieval failure was due to the absence of encoded context cues at the time of recall - material was not accessible
-Context dependent forgetting
Accurate recall was 40% lower in conditions 2 and 3 than in conditions 1 and 4.
This means that retrieval failure is due to the lack of context dependent cues at the time of recall, the material was not accessible.
What did Carter and Cassaday (1998) find in their procedure?
When the cues at encoding are absent at retrieval, then there is more forgetting
Recall was worse in conditions 2 and 3, than in conditions 1 and 4.
AO3
What is one strength of retrieval cues?
Retrieval cues have real world application
- when we go into another room to gen an item but forget what they wanted, they go back to the original room
- this is recalling the environment in which we first learned it
- This shows ow research can remind us of strategies we use in the real world to improve recall
A03
What is a strength of retrieval cues?
Large range of supporting evidence
For example Godden and Baddeley ( diver study ) and Carter and Cassaday ( drug study ) show that lack of cues at recall lead to everyday forgetting
- Eysenck and Keane (2010) argued that retrieval failure is perhaps the main reason for forgetting in LTM
- This evidence shows that retrieval failure due to lack of cues occurs in everyday life as well as highly controlled labs.
A03
What is a limitation of retrieval failure?
Context effects vary in recall and recognition
-Godden and Baddeley (1980) replicated the underwater experiment using recognition test instead of recall
- There was no context dependant cue effects, and the findings were the same in all conditions whether contexts for learning and recall matched or not
- Suggesting that retrieval failure is a limited explanation for forgetting because it only applies when a person has to recall information rather than recognise it
What is interference theory?
When two pieces of information disrupt each other hindering recall
What is Proactive interference?
When older information/memory disrupts new information/memory
What is Retroactive interference?
When newer information/memory disrupts and older memory
When is interference worse?
Interference is worse when the memories are similar
What did McGeoch and McDonalds (1931) study find?
Interference is strongest when the memories are similar
What is a strength interference theory?
Support for interference in real world situations
-Baddeley and Hitch (1977) asked rugby players to recall team names that they had played against this season
-players did not play the same number if games, those who had played the most had poorest recall
-This shows that interference operates in some everyday situations, increasing validity of the theory.
What is a limitation of interference theory?
Interference effects may be overcome using cues
- Tulving & Psotka (1971) gave participants a list of words organised into categories.
-Recall of the first list was 70% but fell with each new list. When given a cued recall test, recall rose again to 70%
- Suggesting that interference causes just a TEMPORARY loss of access to material in LTM
Outline the procedure in Godden and Baddeleys (1975) study.
Deep sea divers learned a world list and were then asked to recall them.
Condition 1: Learn on land-Recall on land
Condition 2: Learn on land-Recall
underwater
Condition 3: Learn underwater-Recall on land
Condition 4: Learn underwater-Recall underwater
