Explanations for forgetting: retrieval failure

• retrieval failure


  • form of forgetting
  • occurs when we don't have the necessary cues to access memory
  • memory is available but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided
• cue


  • a trigger of information that allows us to access a memory
  • cues may be meaningful
• encoding specificity principle 


  • Tulving did research into retrieval failure
  • if a cue is to help us to recall information it has to be present at encoding and at retrieval
  • if cues are available at encoding and retrieval are different there will be some forgetting
  • some cues are linked to the material-to-be-remembered
• context-dependent forgetting


  • Godden and Baddeley study
  • study on deep sea divers working underwater
  • divers learned a list of words either underwater or on land and were asked to recall either on water or on land
  • learn of land= recall land
  • learn underwater=recall underwater
  • learn land= recall underwater
  • learn underwater= recall land
  • accurate recall was 40% lower in non-matching conditions
• state-dependent forgetting


  • Carter and Cassaday study
  • gave anti-histamine drugs to their pps
  • it had a mild sedative effect making pps drowsy
  • pps had to learn words and passages and recall
  • learn on drug= recall on it
  • learn not on drug= recall not on it
  • learn on drug= recall not on it
  • learn not on drug= recall on it
  • if more drowsy when recalling it but had been alert learning, more forgetting
• evaluation: strength-supporting evidence


  • Godden and Baddeley and Carter and Cassaday studies
  • strength because supporting evidence shows that retrieval failure occurs in real-life situations
• evaluation: limitation- questioning context effects

  • Baddeley argues that context effects are not actually that strong
  • real life applications of retrieval failure due to contextual cues don't actually explain much forgetting
• evaluation: limitation- recall versus recognition

  • context may be related to the kind of memory thats being tested
  • baddeley and godden re did their study but instead of recall they used a recognition test
  • when recognition was tested there were no context-dependent effect