Retrieval Flashcards
Retrieval cue
Contains information that fits some aspects of the memory trace.
Permanent forgetting
Unavailability because of the decay of the memory trace
Temporary forgetting
Inaccessibility because of the lack of retrieval cues
Involuntary memory
Cues encountered in everyday life evoke recollections of the past without conscious effort (Proustian Memory)
- PTSD
Encoding-specificity principle
Retrieval is enhanced when the cues available (during retrieval)
match the features present/stored during encoding
Context-dependent retrieval
Tip-of-the-tongue effect
failing to retrieve a word from memory, combined with a partial recall and the feeling that retrieval is imminent
Available VS accessible memories
Available info = info stored in memory
Accessible info = info that can be retrieved
Memory trace
Contains information that was attended during encoding (mental representation)
Retrieval
Interaction between the retrieval cues and the encoded memory trace (cue-dependency)
Experiment: More cues?
Given a list of 84 words, some people were asked to create 1 cue per word while the other group were supposed to generate 3 cues. They didn’t know they were going to be tested in retrieval.
Result: More cues = easier to retrieve the memory
Experiment: Encoding-specificity principle
- In an experiment done by Thomson and Tulving participants were giving weak cues with the target words, and then asked to retrieve the target words by being given the weak cues. Retrieval went well.
- Retrieval was not as good without cues
- When they were giving strong cues that were not there during encoding, performance dropped.
- This shows that although you´re giving a strong cue, the performance will be better with a weak encoding-specific cue.
Context-dependent retrieval
Retrieval is context based.
Individuals who studied under water, and were tested under water had better performance than those who were learning on land.
The physical locations acts as a cue itself.
State-/mood-dependent retrieval
Experiment: learning and studying in same mode improves performance (experiment done with music, pleasant vs unpleasant music)
- When you´re more depressed you´ll have more sad episodic memories.
Is frequent exposure sufficient?
Even though one has seen the coin many times, one struggles to remember what´s on the back/draw it from memory.
Improving memory
At encoding: encoding more features (implementing more “facets” via which “cues” can access the memory trace).
At retrieval: providing more cues to facilitate retrieval (utilize context information)
Level of processing theory
The more deeply we process information during encoding the better we will remember it.
Example:
Given a list of words, and the instruction to process the word in three ways
1) Structural: is the word written in capital letters?
2) Acoustic: does the word rhyme with x
3) Semantic: does the word fit in the sentence …
Remembered better
Level of processing theory
The more deeply we process information during encoding the better we will remember it.
Example:
Given a list of words, and the instruction to process the word in three ways
1) Structural: is the word written in capital letters?
2) Acoustic: does the word rhyme with x
3) Semantic: does the word fit in the sentence …
Remembered better
Semantic processing
Semantic processing results in a more elaborative encoding so that the
new memory trace becomes embedded in a rich network of other
traces making it more accessible for various retrieval cues.
When you have prior knowledge about a topic, it´s easier to learn more.
Dual-coding effect
- Encoding information both verbally and visually improves memory.
Spacing effect
- Rehearsing spread out over time is better than rehearsing the same amount of time in a single session.
This is producing encoding variability, with different circumstances you get different cues and more changes in the environment. It´s easier to access because more retrieval cues.
Testing effect
- Learning is more effective if it involves testing (=retrieval) of the and not only encoding.
It´s better to be tested than to only read the answers.
Method of loci
A familiar route is imagined and images of the items to be recalled are linked to landmarks on the route
Categorization
Items grouped together into categories will be better recalled
