retrieval failure

• Retrieval failure - a form of forgetting, which occurs when we don’t have the necessary cues to access memory. The memory is available but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided
• Cue - a trigger of information that allows us to access a memory
• There are 2 types of retrieval failure:

  Context-dependent forgetting - when information is forgotten because the environment during recall is different from the environment you were in when you were learning.

  State dependent forgetting - when information is forgotten because your mood or physiological state during  recall is different from the mood/state you were in when you were learning
• Godden and Baddeley

  • Divers learnt a list of words either underwater or on land and then were asked to recall the words either underwater or on land
  • Accurate recall was 40% lower in non-matching conditions 

  The external cues available at learning were different from ones at recall and this led to retrieval failure
• Carter and Cassiday

  • Participants learnt a list of words either on antihistamines or not and then were asked to recall the words either on antihistamines or not (these would make them slightly drowsy).
  • Performance was significantly worse in non-matching conditions. 

  This shows when cues are absent there is more forgetting
• Baddeley argued context effects are actually not very strong, especially in real life situations. Different contexts have to be very different before an effect is seen
• Godden and Baddeley replicated their experiment using a recognition test instead of recall test (pps say whether they recognise a word read to them rather than recall). When recognition was tested, they found no difference in the different contexts