Retrieval Failure

• When information is initially placed in memory, associated cues are stored at the same time. If these cues aren't available at the time of recall you forget because you aren't able to access memories that are available.
• Encoding specificity principle

  Tulving discovered a consistent pattern in the findings of retrieval failure. The ESP states that a cue has to present at encoding (when we learn) and at retrieval (when we recall it). If cues are different or absent from one or both stages there will be forgetting. Some cues are encoded in a meaningful way at the time of learning. eg.

  STM → short term memory & information about it (these are mnemonic techniques).
• Non meaningful cues can include:

  • Context dependent forgetting - recall depends on external cue
  • State dependent forgetting - recall depends on internal cue
• Research on content dependent forgetting

  Godden & Baddeley studied deep sea divers who work underwater to see if training on land would hinder their work underwater. They learned a list of words either on land or underwater and were then asked to recall the words either on land or underwater.

  • learn on land - recall on land
  • learn on land - recall underwater
  • learn underwater -recall on land
  • learn underwater - recall underwater
• Research on context dependant forgetting

  Godden and Baddeley found recall was 40% lower in the groups where they learned and recalled the lists in opposing situations. They concluded that external cues available at learning were different from the ones available at recall which led to retrieval failure.
• Research on state dependent forgetting

  Carter & Cassaday gave antihistamine drugs to their participants. They had a mild sedative effect making the participants slightly drowsy. The participants had to learn a list of words and passages of prose and then recall the information again.

  • Group 1: learn on drug - recall on drug
  • Group 2: learn on drug - recall not on drug
  • Group 3: learn not on drug - recall on drug
  • Group 4: learn not on drug. recall not on drug

  Recall was significantly worse in Groups 2 and 3; the state at the time of learning and recall didn't match.