AO1 - Retrieval Failure due to Absence of Cues

• Retrieval failure due to absence of cues suggests that forgetting occurs when information is still in the LTM but can't be accessed due to a lack of memory cues.
• Context-dependent forgetting: forgetting occurs due to a lack of external cues to trigger recall (1) because the environment is different at recall to when the information was coded meaning forgetting is more likely. (1) For example, a person may forget information when sitting an exam in a different classroom to which they learned the information. (1)
• Context-dependent forgetting = environment = lack of external cues
• State-dependent forgetting: forgetting occurs due to a lack of internal cues to trigger recall (1) because a person's internal physical and/or emotional state is different at recall to when the information is coded meaning forgetting is more likely. (1) For example, a person may forget a dance routine on stage because when they learned the routine they may have been calm, but on stage they are anxious. (1)
• State-dependent forgetting = physical/emotional state = lack of internal cues