retrieval failure

Question 1

what are the 6 AO1 points you must know for retrieval failure?

Answer 1

-Definition of Retrieval Failure
-Encoding Specificity Principle (Tulving, 1983)
-Context-Dependent Forgetting
-State-Dependent Forgetting
-Godden & Baddeley (1975) – Context Study
-Carter & Cassaday (1998) – State Study

Question 2

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 2

Forgetting happens when information is stored in LTM but can’t be accessed due to the absence of the right retrieval cues.

Question 3

What is the encoding specificity principle?

Answer 3

Tulving (1983): A cue helps recall if it was present at encoding. If the cue is missing at retrieval, memory access is less likely.

Question 4

What is context-dependent forgetting?

Answer 4

Forgetting occurs when the environment at recall is different from encoding (e.g. learning underwater but recalling on land).

Question 5

What is state-dependent forgetting?

Answer 5

Forgetting happens when the internal state (e.g. mood or drug state) at recall is different from the one during learning.

Question 6

What did Godden & Baddeley (1975) find?

Answer 6

Divers recalled fewer words when learning and recall environments didn’t match – evidence for context-dependent forgetting.

Question 7

What did Carter & Cassaday (1998) find?

Answer 7

Participants recalled less when internal drug states didn’t match (on vs off antihistamines) – supports state-dependent forgetting.