Retrieval failure - explanation for forgetting

    Cards (11)

    • retrieval failure: when there is an absence of cues to help retrieve information from memory. the memories are still there but not yet accessible.
    • cues: reminders that link to certain materials or objects that trigger memories. these can be external (context-dependent) or internal (state-dependent.)
    • who created the encoding specificity diagram?

      tulving
    • what does the encoding specificity diagram look like?
      A venn diagram: the overlap between cues at encoding and cues at retrieval determines a successful retrieval.
    • what did abernethy’s study involve?
      context-dependent forgetting with children taking an exam in a different room than usual or having a different instructor than usual. students less affected by the change did better on the test.
    • What does it mean when an environment is consistent?

      when the cues at encoding and retrieval are both present and recall is successful.
    • what does it mean when an environment is inconsistent?

      when either one or no cues are present, recall is unsuccessful.
    • context-dependent studies: four groups, two consistent (both cues) two inconsistent (one cue)
    • state-dependent forgetting: mental state is the cue. cassaday - learning information when on antihistamines and being unable to recall once the effect has worn off as the mental state is the cue.
    • strength of retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting
      Lots of research support from lab, field and natural experiments. Tulving, abernethy, baddeley. Ecological validity and mundane realism.
    • weakness of retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting
      Retrieval cues are not necessarily reliable. context effects are eliminated when learning meaningful info. Outshining hypothesis - cues’ effectiveness reduced by presence of better cues. therefore retrieval cues as an explanation is too simplistic.
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