forgetting: retrieval failure

• retrieval failure:

  • forgetting occurs due to insufficient cues
  • cues are stored, if not available at time of recall - retrieval failure
  • accessibility not availability problem
• encoding specificity principle (Tulving):

  • cue has to be present at both encoding + retrieval - if cues are different forgetting will occur
  • context dependent forgetting = external
  • state dependent forgetting = internal
• context dependent (Godden + Baddeley):

  • deep sea divers divided in 4 groups
  • learn words on land, recall on land + vice versa
  • learn words on land, recall underwater + vice versa
• context dependent findings:

  • accurate recall was 40% lower in non matching conditions
  • external cues at time of learning were different from cues available - led to retrieval failure
• state dependent (carter + cassaday):

  • divided into 4 conditions using antihistamines
  • learn words on drug, recall on drug + vice versa
  • learn words on drug, recall sober + vice versa
• state dependent findings:

  • accurate recall was significantly lower in non matching conditions
  • internal cues available at learning were different from ones available at recall - retrieval failure
• EVALUATION: research support

  • in addition to previous studies, researchers have found evidence of state dependent forgetting with different substances
  • darley et al - impact of marijuana on recollection, under influence = were less able to recall where they put their money when they were not under influence
  • adds weight to argument - emotional + physiological state at time of encoding is important
• EVALUATION: questioning context effects

  • baddeley argued contexts have to be very different for effect to be seen
  • hard to find environment as different as land and water - learning something in room + recalling in another is not likely to result in much forgetting
  • real life applications to retrieval failure due to contextual cues may not explain forgetting
• EVALUATION: recall vs recognition

  • context may depend on type of memory being tested
  • godden + baddeley - replicated experiment, used recognition not recall, say whether they recognised word from list - no context dependent effect + performance was same in all 4 conditions
  • limited explanation, only applies when person has to recall not recognise