Retrieval Failure

• Why does retrieval failure occur?

  Due to the absence of cues, where forgetting occurs due to issues in recalling a memory that is available but not accessible due to insufficient clues or cues
• What did Tulving and Thomson (1973) find?


  If the same cues that are presented at encoding are available at retrieval, memory recall is more effective
• What is the encoding specificity principle (ESP)?


  Closer the cues are to the original information provided, the better the cues work - the more that they are replicated the better
• What are the two cues of forgetting?


  Context and state-dependent forgetting
• What is context-dependent forgetting?

  Relating to environmental/external factors
• What is state-dependent forgetting?


  Relating to mental/internal factors
• Who studied context-dependent forgetting?

  Abernethy (1940)
• What did Abernethy (1940) find?


  Memory is more effective when external factors are close to being replicated
• What is an example of context-dependent forgetting?


  A pupil is more likely to recall what they have revised in an exam if they were to do it in exam conditions
• Who studied state-dependent forgetting?

  Goodwin et al., (1969)
• What did Goodwin et al., (1969) find?


  In a study consisting of male volunteers who were asked to learn a list of words either drunk or sober and recall after 24 hours, highest recall occurred when participants were in the initial state of learning
• What were the two conditions in Goodwin et al., (1969)’s study?


  Drunk (3 times the UK driving limit) or sober