Retrieval failure

• Define the term retrieval failure-

  -An explanation for forgetting based on the absence of cues. The memory is there (available) but not accessible
• The encoding specificity principle-

  -Tulving & Thomas propose that memory is most effective if information present at time of encoding is also present at time of retrieval.

  -The cue doesn't have to be exactly right, but closer to original item the better it will be
• The encoding specificity principle- Method

  -Each ppt had to learn 48 words from 12 different categories

  -Info was presented as category followed by word. There were 2 conditions:

  >1)Ppts asked to recall words they could remember-free recall

  >2)Ppts given categories as cues-cued recall

  Condition 1 recalled 40% Condition 2 recalled 60%
• Define the term context dependent forgetting-

  -Context is general setting in which we do something. It may be where we were when we learned something
• What was the aim of Godden and Baddeleys research?

  -To see if people who learn and are tested in same environment will recall more than those who learn and are tested in different environments
• What was the method of Godden and Baddeleys research?

  -Ppts were deep sea divers, divided into 4 groups

  Group 1-Learnt and recalled underwater

  Group 2-Learnt underwater and recalled on shore

  Group 3- Learnt and recalled on shore

  Group 4- Learnt on shore and recalled underwater
• What were the results of Godden and Baddeley-

  -Group 1 and 3 recalled 40% more words than group 2 and 4
• What was the conclusion of Godden and Baddeley -

  -Recall of information will be better if it happens in same context that learning takes place
• AO3 of Godden and Baddeley-

  -Abernethy carried out experiment to see if classroom and instructor affected performance of students on weekly task. 4 experimental conditions:

  1-Usual room and instructor

  2-Usual room and different instructor

  3-Different room and usual instructor

  4-Different room and instructor

  -Students performed best in usual room with usual instructor. BUT higher achieving students least affected by these changes
• State dependent forgetting-

  The mental state you are in at the time can also act as cue
• Outline research conducted by Goodwin -

  -They recruited male volunteer ppts.

  -They had to learn a list of words whilst sober or drunk

  -After 24 hours ppts were then asked to recall words again, whilst sober or drunk
• Strength - Real life application

  There is good real-world application to the theory, e.g.

  • studying for exams should be conducted in the same room in which the exam is to take place to aid recall
  • This means that the theory has good external validity
• Limitation- Contrasting contexts

  • Baddeley (1977) argued that the effect of context is not very strong in real-world situations
  • It would be difficult to find such extremely contrasting contexts as land and water (Godden and Baddeley) in real life
  • This means that retrieval failure due to a lack of contextual cues may not be a good model to explain forgetting
• Limitation - Artificial task

  • Many of the studies involve learning lists of words which is an artificial task, meaning that the studies lack ecological validity and real-world application