explanations for forgetting: retrieval failure

when does retrieval failure occur

when there is a lack of cues

what is context dependent forgetting

recall is 40% lower when conditions don’t match

define retrieval failure

when the memory is available but not accessible

describe the diver recall study

divers learned a list of words and had to recall in different environments

learn on land - recall on land

learn on land - recall underwater

learn underwater - recall on land

learn underwater - recall underwater

define state dependent forgetting

recall is worse when psychological or physical state is different

describe the hay fever medication study

hay fever drug caused drowsiness

conditions

learn on drug - recall on drug

learn on drug - recall off drug

learn off drug - recall on drug

learn off drug - recall off drug

what is a real world application strength of retrieval failure

• The concept explains common memory lapses, such as remembering an item when returning to the original room you thought of it in, and this suggests retrieval cues are a practical strategy to improve recall in everyday life.

• this shows how psychological findings can be applied as useful real-world techniques

what is a research support strength of retrieval failure

• research shows that a lack of relevant cues leads to context-dependent forgetting, and this suggests retrieval failure is a well-supported explanation for forgetting from long-term memory.

• The effect is demonstrated in both real-world and highly controlled lab conditions, and this evidence shows retrieval failure is a robust and significant cause of forgetting

what is a recall vs recognition limitation of retrieval failure

• using recognition instead of recall, suggests the retrieval failure explanation only applies to a specific type of memory task.

• Because the explanation does not account for forgetting when recognizing information, this suggests it is a limited theory that cannot explain all instances of everyday forgetting.