Memory : Explanations for forgetting, retrieval failure Flashcards
when does retrieval failure occur?
when we don’t have necessary cues to access memory
what is a ‘cue’?
‘trigger’ of info that allows for a memory to be accessed
can be meaninful or indirectly linked by being encoded at time of learning
who developed the encoding specificity principle?
Tulving (1983)
what does the ESP state?
a cue is helpful for recall if it is present at encoding and present at retrieval
if cues are different or absent at retrieval, forgetting is more likely
what are 2 examples of non-meaningful cues?
context-dependent forgetting
state-dependent forgetting
what is context-dependent forgetting?
recall dependent on external cues
what is state-dependent forgetting?
recall depends on internal cues
who researched into context-dependent forgetting?
Godden +Baddeley (1975)
outline Godden + Baddeley’s (1975) underwater experiment
studied divers to see if training on land helped or hindered their work underwater
divers learnt lists of words and participated in four conditions
found recall 40% lower in non-matching conditions
cocncluded that external cues available at learning were different from ones available at recall which led to retrieval failure
what were the four conditions in Godden and Baddeley’s study?
- learn on land - recall underwater
- learn on land - recall on land
- learn underwater - recall on land
- learn underwater - recall underwater
who researched into state-dependent forgetting?
Carter and Cassaday (1998)
outline Carter and Cassaday’s (1998) study
gave antihistamines to participants, made them drowsy
created an internal physiological state different from ‘normal’ state of being alert and awake
participants had to learn lists of words and passages of prose then recall in 4 conditions
found that conditions with a mismatch between internal state at learning and recall harboured a worse performance on the memory test
concluded that absent cues lead to more forgetting
what were the four conditions in Carter and Cassaday’s (1998) study?
- learn on drug - recall on drug
- learn on drug - recall not on drug
- learn not on drug - recall on drug
- learn not on drug - recall not on drug
name one stregnth of retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting
range of research support
2 examples : G+D and C+C
show lack of relevant cues at recall can lead to context-dependent and state-dependent forgetting in everyday life
Eysenck and Keane (2010) argue retrieveal failure main reason for forgetting in LTM
evidence shows retrieval failure occurs in real-world situations as well as labs
name a counter-point in relation to evidentary support
Baddeley (1997) - argues context effects not strong in everyday life
different contexts have to have severely clear differences before an effect is seen
for example, it would be hard to find an environment as different from land as underwater (Godden and Baddeley)
means retrieval failure due to lack of contextual cues may not explain much everday forgetting
name one limitation of retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting
context effects may depend on type of memory being tested
godden and baddeley (1980)
replicated underwater experiment using recognition test
participants had to recognise word read to them from a list rather than retrieve it for themselves
recognition tested = no context dependent effect, performance same in all conditions
suggests retrieval failure a limited explanation for forgetting as it only applies to recall
what year did Godden and Baddeley replicate their underwater experiment?
1980
