Retrieval failure - explanation for forgetting

• 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.