retrieval failure

• Tulving proposed the encoding specificity principle, which suggests the same cues available at the time of learning must be available at the time of recall, for recall to be successful.
• Retrieval failure can be either context dependent forgetting or state dependent forgetting.
• Retrieval failure is based on the encoding specificity principle proposed by Tulving.
• Context dependent forgetting is when external cues that were present at learning are not present at recall.
• State dependent forgetting is when internal cues that were present at learning are not present at recall. Internal cues may be physiological or psychological.
• Research support for context dependent forgetting comes from Godden & Baddeley who used deep sea divers who work underwater. They were tested on recall of a list of words in 1 of 4 conditions. These were to both learn and recall underwater, learn and recall on land, or to learn underwater and recall on land and vice versa.
• Godden & Baddeley found that recall was worst when the list was learned in a different environment to where it was recalled. This is an example of context dependent forgetting as external cues were different at the times of learning and recall.
• Research support for state dependent forgetting comes from Carter & Cassaday. Participants were tested on recall of a list of words in 1 of 4 conditions. These were to both learn and recall while on an antihistamine drug, learn and recall while not on any drug, learn while on the drug and recall while not on the drug, and vice versa.
• Carter & Cassaday found that recall was worst when participant learned the list in a different state to how they were during recall. This is an example of state dependent forgetting as internal cues were different at the times of learning and recall.
• A limitation of retrieval failure is that it does not explain forgetting in everyday situations. Supporting research lacks external validity as conditions do not reflect the less dramatic conditions where forgetting occurs in everyday life.
• A strength of retrieval failure is that it has practical application in improving revision. Understanding how both internal and external cues can improve memory can be applied to helping students improve the effectiveness of their revision techniques.
• A strength of retrieval failure is that it has practical application in improving the accuracy of eyewitness testimony through the cognitive interview. The step 'reinstating the context' uses the encoding specificity principle to improve memory.