Explanations for forgetting: Retrieval failure

What is retrieval failure

It suggests that forgetting occurs when the cues (triggers of information recollection) present at the time of encoding the information are not present at the time of recall.

This describes tulving’s ‘encoding specific principle’

External context dependent cues

Where you learnt information will have an effect on how good your recall is

It may be easier to remember information in the same place you learnt it

Smith 1970 - gave 3 groups of participants a list of 80 words to learn in a basement room, their recall was tested the next day, group one in the basement averaged 18 items recalled, group 2 in a 5th floor office room averaged 12 items, the 3rd group were asked to imagine themselves back in the basement and averaged 17 words, therefore imagining yourself in the original context is almost as effective.

Internal state dependent cues

Overton found material learned while either drunk or sober was recalled better when in the same state again

Goodwin et al found people who hid money while drunk were more likely to remember where they hid it when they were drunk again

Organisation (category dependent) cues

It can also be used to support this.

If information is carefully organised the structure will provide cues to aid recall