Memory: Lesson 9 - Forgetting: Retrieval Failure Theory

Question 1

What is the retrieval failure theory?

Answer 1

The theory which argues that forgetting occurs in the absence of appropriate cues
When information is initially placed in memory, data associated with this information is stored at the same time
If these cues are not available at time of recall, it may appear as if you have forgotten the information when in fact you just cannot access it at that time

Question 2

What is context-dependent forgetting?

Answer 2

When the environment in which material is learnt acts as a cue
This means that if you are in the same environment that you learned the information in then your recall will be better
If you are not in the same context at retrieval then forgetting can occur

Question 3

What is state-dependent forgetting?

Answer 3

When an individuals physical state can affect their recall. Research suggests that recall is facilitated if people have a similar physiological state at recall as when the information was coded
If you are not in the same physical state at recall as you were when you learned the information then you might fail to access the information

Question 4

Evaluation of Retrieval Failure Theory (Abernethy) (+)

Answer 4

+ demonstrated ck text-dependent cues
+tested participants’ recall using a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar instructors and teaching rooms.
+ participants tested by a familiar instructor in a familiar room, performed the best because the instructor and room acted as cues

Question 5

Evaluation of retrieval failure theory (godden & Baddeley) (+)

Answer 5

+ got divers to learn and recall lists of words underwater and on land
+ found that the lists that were learned and recalled in the same context were better remembered as there were cues in the environment which helped them to remember the words

Question 6

+ Evaluation of retrieval failure theory (Darley et al.)

Answer 6

+showed the importance of state dependent cues
+they found that participants who hid money in a large warehouse while under the influence of cannabis were more likely to recall the hiding place when in a similar drugged state

Question 7

Evaluation for retrieval failure theory (Baddeley) (-)

Answer 7

• argues that the influence of cues are not very strong
• in real life we often have to recall information in a different context to where we learned it e.g. students d not often take their GCSE examinations in the same classroom where they learned the information