retrieval failure

• what are the 3 principles of the theory of retrieval failure?

  1. encoding specificity principle
  2. context-dependent forgetting
  3. state-dependent forgetting
• who suggested the encoding specificity principle?

  tulving
• outline the assumptions of the encoding specificity principle

  when memories are created, associated cues are stored at the same time

  • if these cues are not present, forgetting will take place
• define context-dependent forgetting

  external environment differs between learning and recall
• who investigated context-dependent forgetting?

  Godden and Baddeley
• explain Godden and Baddeley's study of context-dependent forgetting

  deep-sea diver

  • divers learnt a list of words underwater (or on land) and then recall underwater (or on land)
  • when the conditions matched, 40% higher recall rate
• define state-dependent forgetting

  internal state of the person differs between learning and recall
• who studied state-dependent forgetting?

  Carter and Cassaday
• outline Carter and Cassaday's study of state-dependent forgetting

  anti-histamine study

  • learn passages of words whilst on anti-histamines (or not on them) and recall on anti-histamines (or not on them)
  • drugs induced drowsiness
  • matching conditions, resulted in higher recall rate
• evaluate the theory of retrieval failure

  • research studies, e.g. Carter & Cassady and Godden & Baddeley, demonstrate and support cue-dependent forgetting

  
  

  • context and state effects are weak as need to be very different, not generalisable to conditions in everyday life

  
  

  • replication of Godden & Baddeley, no context effects, only applicable to certain types of memory tests