Memory: Forgetting - Absence of Cues

Question 1

What is the difference between the accessibility and availability of a memory?

Answer 1

accessibility: whether information can be reached and retrieved
availability: whether information is there

Question 2

How is forgetting in STM different to forgetting in LTM?

Answer 2

• in STM: the information is unavailable due to the limited capacity and duration of STM
• in LTM: the information is available but inaccessible so we fail to retrieve the memory

Question 3

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 3

• when we information is initially placed in memory, associated cues are stored with it
• if there is an absence of cues, we are unable to retrieve the memory even if it is available, because we do not have the right cues to jog our memory

Question 4

What is the encoding specificity principle?

Answer 4

retrieval is most accurate when we recall information in the same environment and mental state as when we learnt/encoded the information

Question 5

What are the different types of retrieval failure?

Answer 5

• context-dependent forgetting
• state-dependant forgetting

Question 6

What is context dependent forgetting? Give an example:

Answer 6

• occurs when the environmental cues at retrieval are different to the environmental cues at encoding
• e.g. learning information in a classroom and forgetting the information in an exam in the sports hall because the environmental cues are different

Question 7

What is state dependent forgetting? Give an example:

Answer 7

• occurs when the internal cues (mental state) at retrieval are different to the internal cues at encoding
• e.g. learning a list of words in a bad mood and forgetting the words when trying to retrieve them in a good mood

Question 8

What are we evaluating?

Answer 8

whether or not retrieval failure due to absence of causes forgetting

Question 8

Strength of retrieval failure: Godden and Baddeley - divers

Answer 8

• research support for context dependent forgetting
• see powerpoint flashcard

Question 9

Strength of retrieval failure: Cartner and Cassaday - drugs

Answer 9

• research support for state dependent forgetting
• see powerpoint flashcard

Question 10

Weakness of retrieval failure: too simple

Answer 10

• most of the information we learn requires more than just cues to remember
• research was carried out with a list of words, which does not represent the complexity of the information we learn everyday
• we have complex thought/emotional processes so retrieval failure cannot fully explain forgetting, as it is too simple
• count: however, there are still practical applications of retrieval failure, as cues can now be used in revision (e.g. pneumonics) to help recall