explanations for forgetting: retrieval failure

• retrieval failure: where info is available in long term memory but cannot be recalled because of absence of appropriate cues

  • types of cues that have been studied by psychologists include contextual cues and state-dependent cues
• retrieval cues: when we store a new memory we also store info about the situation.

  when we come into the same situation again, these retrieval cues can trigger the memory of the situation
• contextual cues: external cues in the environment e.g smell, place etc. evidence indicates that retrieval is more likely when the context at encoding matches the context at retrieval
• state-dependent cues: bodily cues inside of us, e.g physical, emotional, mood, drunk etc. the basic idea that memory will be best when a person's physical or psychological state is similar at encoding and retrieval

  e.g if someone tells you a joke on saturday night after a few drinks, you'll be more likely to remember it when you're in a similar state - at a later date after a few more drinks. when you're sober on monday morning, you'll be more likely to forget the joke
• tulving's encoding specificity principle - in order for recall to happen the cues which were available at encoding must also be available at retrieval
• • Godden and Baddeley (1975) studied deep-sea divers memorizing words.
  • One group learned on the beach, the other underwater.
  • Recall was better when done in the same environment as learning.
  • Participants who recalled in the same context remembered 40% more words.
  • Suggests retrieval is improved in the learning context.
• • Carter and Cassaday's experiment examined the impact of internal state on recall.
  • Half of participants received an anti-histamine drug, inducing slight drowsiness.
  • The other half received nothing before learning a word list.
  • Participants were split into groups: recall on the drug or off the drug.
  • When there was a mismatch between internal state at learning and recall, memory performance significantly declined.
  • This highlights the significance of internal cues in memory recall.
• P - one weakness of these experiments is the poor ecological validity

  E - Experimental conditions, like learning underwater and recalling on land, are highly artificial and differ greatly from typical memory tasks people encounter in daily life.

  E - This divergence from real-world scenarios raises doubts about the relevance of findings to everyday memory processes.

  L - therefore we should be careful when using such evidence to conclude anything meaningful about retrieval failure in the real world
• P - on the other hand, the concept of retrieval failure is likely to resonate with many people

  E - Many people report difficulty recalling specific memories from their childhood or school days, but often find that returning to familiar places or attending reunions can trigger a flood of memories.

  E - This everyday experience highlights how retrieval cues can facilitate memory recall, supporting the validity of retrieval failure as a phenomenon.

  L - Thus, retrieval failure aligns closely with people's day-to-day experiences, suggesting its relevance in understanding memory processes.
• P - a strength of retrieval failure is that it has had useful real-world applications like the cognitive interview

  E - Witnesses are prompted to reinstate the context of events, aiding memory recall by recalling emotions or revisiting the scene of the incident.

  E - These approaches enhance the retrieval of crucial details, benefiting investigations and legal proceedings.

  L - Therefore, retrieval failure theory, applied in methods such as the cognitive interview, offers tangible benefits in real-world contexts.