Memory - Explanations for forgetting : Retrieval failure

Question 1

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 1

A form of forgetting when the necessary cues to access memory aren’t present

Question 2

What is cue-dependant forgetting?

Answer 2

Information is in the LTM but forgetting occurs due to the absence of the appropriate cues encoded at the same time (ENCODING SPECIFICITY PRINCIPLE)

Question 3

What is the encoding specificity principle?

Answer 3

The theory that memory retrieval is improved when the encoding context is the same as the retrieval context

Question 4

What are context dependant cues?

Answer 4

Aspects of our external environment work as cues to memory ( Sights, sounds, smells). Being in a different place inhibits memory as we lack environmental cues

Question 5

What is state dependant cues?

Answer 5

Aspects of our internal environment work as cues to memory (emotions, drugs, state of arousal.) Being in a different emotional state inhibits memory as we lack state dependant cues

Question 6

What are Category/ Organisational dependant cues?

Answer 6

Providing cues that relate to the organisation/ category of memories aids recall. The most effective cues have fewer things associated with them. The lack of organisation/ category cues inhibits memory

Question 7

Strengths 1 : of retrieval failure is research support

Answer 7

P: One strength of … is that there is research support
E: Baddely tested whether recall was different in divers in non matching condition’s and found active recall was 40% lower in non matching conditions than matching
E: Which is the exact outcome predicted by context-dependent forgetting
L: Therefore supporting retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting

Question 8

Weakness of Rerieval failure is questioning context effects of Baddley study

Answer 8

P: However, many question the context effects of Baddley study
E: As learning from one room and recalling the learnt information in another are unlikely to result in forgetting
E: which is why Baddleys results cannot be generalised as it’s hard to find an enviroment so different like land and sea.
L: Therefore a limitation as there is a lack of generalisablity and read world application