Retrieval failure

Question 1

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 1

A form of forgetting. It occurs when we dont have the necessary cues to access memory. The memory is available but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided.

Question 2

What is a cue?

Answer 2

A ‘trigger’ of information that allows us to access a memory.

Question 3

What does retrieval failure say is the reason we forget?

Answer 3

Insufficient cues

Question 4

Who reviewed researched into retrieval failure?

Answer 4

Tulving (1983)

Question 5

What did Tulving discover?

Answer 5

He discovered a pattern to his findings. He summarised this pattern in what he called the ‘encoding specificity Principe’ (ESP)

Question 6

What did the ESP relate to?

Answer 6

Tulving’s summary said that if a cue is going to be helpful it has to be both: present at encoding (when we learn the material) and present at retrieval (when we are recalling it). If the cues available at encoding and retreival are different then there will be some forgetting.

Question 7

Some cues are used in Mnemonics. What are Mnemonics?

Answer 7

Tools to help remember facts or a large amount of information
It can be a song, rhyme, acronym, image or a phrase to help remember a list of facts in a certain order - Never Eat Shredded Wheat