Retrieval failure

• When does retrieval failure occur


  When memory is available but not accessible

  It is linked to cues
• external cues


  relate to our external environment

  used cues to help remember - context dependent retrieval

  can’t use cues to help remember - context dependent forgetting
• internal cues


  relate to internal state (mood, drunkenness)

  use cues to remember — state dependent retrieval

  can’t use cues to remember - state dependent forgetting
• tulving’s encoding specificity principle


  reviewed research into retrieval failure and found consistent patterns

  if cue is to help recall information is must be present at encoding and retrieval

  other cues encoded at time of learning but not in meaningful way risk. context dependent failure and state dependent forgetting