Explanations For Forgetting (Retrieval Failure)

Question 1

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 1

Occurs when we don’t have the necessary cues to access memory

Memory is available but unaccessible until a suitable cue is provided

Question 2

What is a cue?

Answer 2

A trigger of info that allows us to access a memory

These may be meaningful or indirectly linked by being encoded at the time of learning

Question 3

Tulving: encoding specificity principle (ESP)

Answer 3

• suggested cues help us recall info from ltm
• cue has to be present at time of encoding and at time of retrieval
• if cues at encoding and retrieval are different then forgetting will occur

Question 4

What are the 2 types of cues?

Answer 4

1. Context dependent
2. State dependent

Question 5

Context dependent

Answer 5

Forgetting occurs when the external environment is different at recall from how it was at learning

Question 6

Who created the research study for context dependent forgetting and when?

Answer 6

Godden & Baddeley 1975

Question 7

Godden & Baddeleys aim and type of experiment?

Answer 7

Type: lab

Aim: to investigate whether memory for words learned and recalled in the same environment was better than memory for words learned and recalled in different environments

Question 8

Godden and baddeleys procedure

Answer 8

• divers learned a list of words either underwater or on land and then asked to recall the words in either of these environments (created 4 conditions)

1. Learn on land & recall on land
2. Learn on land & recall underwater
3. Learn underwater & recall on land
4. Learn underwater & recall underwater

Question 9

Godden and baddeleys findings

Answer 9

• accurate recall 40% lower in non matching conditions
• external cues available at learning were different from ones at recall which led to retrieval failure
• in order to avoid forgetting we need to recall info in the same environment we learnt it in

Question 10

Limitation - type of memory

Answer 10

P - context effect may be related to type of memory being tested
E - Godden and baddeley replicated their experiment but used recognition test instead of recall. P’s had to say whether they recognised a word instead of recalling it (no context effect)
C - presence or absence of cues only affect memory when you test it in a certain way

Question 11

State dependent

Answer 11

Forgetting occurs when an individuals internal state is dissimilar at recall from when info was coded

Question 12

Who created the research study for state dependent forgetting and when?

Answer 12

Carter and cassaday 1998

Question 13

What type of experiment was carter and cassadays and what was the aim?

Answer 13

Type: lab

Aim: to investigate whether being in a different internal/psychological state had an impact on accuracy of memory

Question 14

Carter and cassadays procedure

Answer 14

• gave anti-histamines to p’s that had a mild sedative effect and made p’s slightly drowsy
• this created an internal psychological state different from the normal state
• p’s to learn a list of words and passages of prose and then recall the info (4 conditions)

Question 15

Carter and cassadays findings

Answer 15

• when conditions were mismatched performance was significantly worse
• when cues are absent there is more forgetting

Question 16

Strength - research support

Answer 16

P - range of research support for retrieval failure
E - Godden and baddeleys and carter and cassadays research. Eysenck argues that retrieval failure is the main reason of forgetting from the ltm
C - research support increases validity especially when evidence shows rf occurs in real life situations as well as in highly controlled conditions of a lab