EXPLANATIONS FOR FORGETTING: RETRIEVAL FAILURE

• RETRIEVAL FAILURE 


  DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF CUES
• Lack of cues can cause retrieval failure 


  When information is initially placed in memory, associated cues are stored at the same time.

  If the cues are not available at the time of retrieval, you might not access memories that are actually there.
• Encoding specificity principle (TULVING, 1983) 


  Cues help retrieval if the same ones are present both (1) at encoding (when we learn the material) and (2) at retrieval (when we are recalling it).

  If the cues available at encoding and retrieval are different (or if cues are entirely absent) there will be some forgetting.
• Links between encoded cues and material to-be-remembered

              

  Meaningful links - the cue ‘STM’ leads you to recall lots of material about short-term memory. 

  Not meaningful links:

  • Context-dependent forgetting =

  Recall depends on external cues (e.g weather or place)

  • State-dependent forgetting =

  Recall depends on internal cues (e.g felling upset, being drunk)