retrieval failure theory of forgetting

• Encoding specificity principle theory

  The greater the similarity between the event a memory was encoded and the event of the retrieval of the memory, the greater the likelihood of recalling the original memory
• Cue dependent forgetting

  Information is in the LTM store but cannot be accessed, and you are given a cue which will increase the likelihood of retrieving the memory
• Types of cue dependent forgetting

  • Context dependent forgetting
  • State dependent forgetting
• Context dependent forgetting

  Recall depends on an external cue such as weather or place
• State dependent forgetting


  Recall depends on an internal cue like feeling upset or being drunk
• Encoding a new memory

  1. Store information that occurred around it (cues) such as the place we were in or how we felt

  2. If cues aren't present when we come to recall then we find it difficult to retrieve the memory
• When cues are absent

  There is more forgetting
• Procedure


  1. Gave antihistamine drugs which caused mild sedation to 100 participants in 4 conditions:

  2. Learn the information given and recall it while on the drug

  3. Learn information while on the drug but recall when not on the drug

  4. Learnt the information while not on the drug and recall it while on the drug

  5. Learn and recall the information while not on the drug
• Procedure


  1. Recruited scuba divers as participants and arranged for them to learn a set of words either on land or underwater. There were 4 conditions to the experiment:

  2. Learn the words on land and recall on land

  3. Learn the words on land and recall underwater

  4. Learn the words underwater and recall on land

  5. Learn the words underwater and recall underwater