AO3 - Retrieval Failure due to Absence of Cues

• Research to support context-dependent forgetting was conducted by Godden & Baddeley. Scuba divers were given a list of words to learn either on land or under water. They were then asked to recall the list in either the same setting they learned, or the opposite. It was found that the participants were more likely to forget the words (40% less accuracy) if tested in the opposite location to where they had learned the words. This supports context dependent forgetting because it demonstrates that when there is a lack of external memory cues, forgetting is more likely.
• However, Baddeley argues that context effects are not very strong, especially in everyday life. Contexts must be very different before an effect is seen, for example it would be difficult to find an environment as different from land as underwater. In contrast, learning something in one room and recalling it in another is unlikely to result in much forgetting because these environments are generally not that different enough. This means that retrieval failure due to a lack of contextual cues may not actually explain much forgetting in everyday life.
• Research to support state-dependent forgetting was conducted by Goodwin et al. Male volunteers were asked to learn a list of words when either drunk or sober. They were then asked to recall the words, 24 hours later, in either same state or opposite state. It was found that participants were more likely to forget the words if tested in the opposite state to which they had learned the words. This gives support to state dependent forgetting because it demonstrates that when there is a lack of internal memory cues, forgetting is more likely.
• It could be argued that the research into retrieval failure due to an absence of cues lacks mundane realism. This is because artificial tasks, such as learning lists of words are often used. Therefore, it is difficult to generalise the findings to everyday cases of forgetting, as in real life we may be learning much more complex information, such as psychological theories, that may not be as easily accessed with an internal or external cue. Therefore, reducing the external validity of the research and questioning retrieval failure due to an absence of cues as an explanation for forgetting.
• Some may argue that the theory has practical applications. The idea that forgetting occurs due a lack of memory cues has been used to create a technique in the cognitive interview; context-reinstatement. Witnesses to a crime are asked to imagine themselves at the scene of the crime, and how they were feeling when recalling the events, this has been found to be effective in triggering memories as they access memory cues. Therefore, the research into retrieval failure is an important part of applied psychology because it helps to provide more accurate eyewitness testimonies.