retrieval failure

what occurs when information is stored in long-term memory but cannot be accessed?

retrieval failure

what do retrieval failure theories argue is the cause of forgetting?

absence of cues that help retrieve memories/information

what principle states that cues present at the time of learning should also be available at recall to avoid forgetting?

encoding specificity principle (tulving 1983)

what is a cue?

a hint or trigger that helps people retrieve a memory

what is encoding?

the process of placing information into the memory store

tulving's criteria for cues

cues must be present during encoding and retrieval to be helpful in remembering information

environmental cues

cues that are context dependent

emotional cues

cues that are state dependent

what are context-dependent cues?

external cues such as location or smell

context-dependent failure

may rely on external environmental retrieval cues being similar to when the information was encoded to aid recall

environmental context

being at a particular place can trigger retrieval

example of context-dependent recall

greater recall occurs when taking a test in the same room where you learnt the answers

retrieval triggers

particularly sights or sounds experienced strongly during encoding can aid recall

what are state-dependent cues?

internal states such as mood or intoxication

what is state-dependent failure?

it occurs when the internal state of a person is different from when the information was encoded

how can emotions affect memory retrieval?

trying to remember something while feeling a different emotion can hinder recall

what role do internal states play in memory retrieval?

internal states can act as retrieval cues

what did abernethy (1940) find regarding memory retrieval?

support for context-dependent forgetting and familiar things acting as retrieval cues

how did familiarity with the teacher and room affect recall in abernethy's study?

participants showed greater difficulty recalling material when tested by an unfamiliar teacher in an unfamiliar room

what does abernethy's research suggest about context and memory retrieval?

it shows support for the importance of context aiding the memory retrieval process

what did overton (1972) study regarding alcohol?

the effects of state-dependent learning produced by alcohol and its relevance to alcoholism

what does state-dependent failure explain?

forgetting due to mismatched states during encoding and retrieval

what was the aim of godden and baddeley's 1975 study?

to investigate the effect of environmental context on recall, specifically retrieval failure due to the absence of external cues

how many deep-sea divers participated in godden and baddeley's study?

18

what were the two environments used for learning in godden and baddeley's study?

land and underwater

what were the four conditions tested in the study?

1. learn on land - recall on land; 2. learn on land - recall underwater; 3. learn underwater - recall underwater; 4. learn underwater - recall on land

what was the result regarding recall when the context at retrieval did not match the learning environment in godden and baddeley's study?

recall was 40% lower

when did the best recall occur in the study?

when the learning and recall environments matched

what conclusion did godden and baddeley draw from their study?

forgetting is more likely when external cues are missing, supporting the concept of context-dependent retrieval failure

aim of carter and cassaday (1998) study

to test whether changes in internal physiological state between learning and recall would affect memory performance

procedure of carter and cassaday's study

participants learned a list of words and passages of prose, receiving either a mild sedative antihistamine or a placebo

conditions of recall in carter and cassaday's study

learn on the drug - recall on the drug; learn on the drug - recall off the drug; learn off the drug - recall on the drug; learn off the drug - recall off the drug

results of carter and cassaday's study

mismatched states led to poorer recall

conclusion of the study

if state cues at encoding and retrieval don't match, retrieval failure is more likely

concept supported by carter and cassaday's study

state-dependent forgetting

face validity

retrieval failure helps explain why we forget certain information, especially when the right cues or context aren't available

tip-of-the-tongue moments

common experience that illustrates retrieval failure, where one cannot access information despite knowing it is stored

limitations of retrieval failure

does not explain all types of forgetting - retrieval failure only accounts for some types of forgetting, typically those related to context or cues

decay theory

a form of forgetting that is not explained by retrieval failure

what is interference?

another form of forgetting that retrieval failure does not account for

overemphasis on external cues

the retrieval failure theory tends to focus heavily on external cues and contexts

cognitive factors in forgetting

attention and other cognitive factors that can influence the ability to retrieve information