Memory- Explanations For Forgetting: Retrieval Failure Flashcards
Retrieval failure -
A form of forgetting. It occurs when we don’t have the necessary cues to access memory. The memory is available but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided.
Cue -
A ‘trigger’ of information that allows us to access a memory. Such cues may be meaningful or may be indirectly linked by being encoded at the time of learning.
For example, cues may be external (environmental context) or internal (mood or degree of drunkenness).
What is retrieval failure theory?
Retrieval failure theory suggests that people forget information due to insufficient cues. When information is stored, associated cues are also stored. If these cues are unavailable during recall, it may seem like the information is forgotten, but it is actually due to retrieval failure—the inability to access available memories.
What is the encoding specificity principle (ESP)?
The encoding specificity principle, proposed by Endel Tulving (1983), states that a cue must be present both during encoding (learning) and retrieval (recall) to aid memory. If cues differ or are absent during retrieval, forgetting occurs.
What are meaningful cues?
Meaningful cues are linked to the material-to-be-remembered in a meaningful way, such as the cue ‘STM’ triggering recall of information about short-term memory. These cues are often used in mnemonic techniques.
What did Godden and Baddeley (1975) find in their study on context-dependent forgetting?
Godden and Baddeley found that divers who learned words underwater recalled them better underwater, and those who learned on land recalled better on land. Recall was 40% lower when the learning and recall environments mismatched, supporting context-dependent forgetting.
What are non-meaningful cues?
Non-meaningful cues are encoded during learning but are not meaningfully linked to the material. Examples include external (context-dependent) and internal (state-dependent) cues.
What is context-dependent forgetting?
Context-dependent forgetting occurs when external cues present during learning are absent during recall, leading to retrieval failure. For example, learning information in one environment and recalling it in a different environment can reduce recall accuracy.
What evidence supports retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting?
Studies like Godden and Baddeley’s (1975) and Carter and Cassaday’s (1998) provide strong evidence for retrieval failure. Michael Eysenck (2010) argues that retrieval failure is perhaps the main reason for forgetting from long-term memory.
What did Carter and Cassaday (1998) find in their study on state-dependent forgetting?
Carter and Cassaday found that participants who learned information in one physiological state (e.g., drowsy) recalled it better in the same state. Mismatched states during learning and recall led to significantly worse memory performance.
What is state-dependent forgetting?
State-dependent forgetting occurs when internal physiological or psychological states during learning differ from those during recall, leading to retrieval failure. For example, being drowsy during learning but alert during recall can impair memory.
What is a limitation of context effects in retrieval failure?
Baddeley (1997) argues that context effects are weak in real life, as environments need to be very different (e.g., land vs. underwater) to impact memory. Learning in one room and recalling in another often doesn’t cause much forgetting.
What is a limitation of the encoding specificity principle (ESP)?
The ESP is untestable and involves circular reasoning. If a cue aids recall, it is assumed to have been encoded during learning; if not, it is assumed not to have been encoded. There is no independent way to verify this.
How does recall versus recognition affect context-dependent forgetting?
Godden and Baddeley (1980) found no context-dependent effect when testing recognition (identifying words from a list) instead of recall. This suggests that context cues only affect memory when tested through recall, not recognition.
What are real-life applications of retrieval failure theory?
Retrieval failure theory has practical applications, such as recalling forgotten items by returning to the original environment where the memory was formed. This principle is also used in cognitive interviews to help eyewitnesses recall more information.
Why is retrieval failure explanation considered valuable despite its limitations?
Retrieval failure explanation is valuable because it has real-life applications, such as improving memory recall by recreating the original learning environment, and it is supported by a range of research studies.
