AO3

• Evaluation points for retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting

  • Real world application: Baddeley's theory
  • Research support
• Real World Application

  POINT

  • A strength of retrieval cues is that it can help overcome forgetting in real life.
• Real World Application

  EXPLANATION

  • Cues may not have a large impact on forgetting and recall, however they can be used in everyday life. Baddeley said that cues are worth paying attention to.
• Real World Application

  EXAMPLE

  • When we go to get something from one room but forget what it was we had to get, we can go back into the room where we were prompted to go and get it in order to remember it. This is context-dependent cues.
• Real World Application

  LINK

  • This shows that retrieval cues can be used in everyday life.
• Research Support

  POINT

  • Abernathy and Carter & Cassady's research into retrieval failure are just a couple of examples which shows how retrieval failure affects us in everyday life and how we can use context and state-dependent cues to help us.
• Research Support


  EXPLANATION

  • Their research concludes that the absence of cues leads to retrieval failure and that it occurs to us in everyday situations
• Research Support


  EVIDENCE

  • Researchers Eysenck and Keane argue that retrieval failure might be the main reason for forgetting in long term memory.
• Research Support


  LINK

  • This shows that retrieval failure occurs in both controlled lab experiments, like the research shown, and in everyday life
• Research Support: Counterpoint

  POINT

  • Baddeley argues that context is not very strong.
• Research Support: Counterpoint

  EXPLANATION

  • Contexts have to be very different in order for an effect to be shown, such as land and water.
• Research Support: Counterpoint

  EVIDENCE

  • Moving from one room to another for learning and recall is unlikely to cause much forgetting as they are similar environments
• Research Support: Counterpoint

  • Retrieval failure due to context-dependent forgetting and context cues is not that significant and may not explain much forgetting.
  • This invalidates the validity of retrieval failure, specifically context-dependent forgetting, as an explanation for forgetting.