Retrival Failure

• Cue


  A ‘trigger’ of information that allows us to access a memory. These might be meaningful or indirectly linked by being encoded at the time of learning.
• Retrival failure


  A form of forgetting. It 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.
• Why do we forget ?

  Retrieval failure suggests that this may be because of insufficient cues.When information is initially placed in memory, associated cues arestored at the same time.

  If these cues are not available at the time of recall, it may make it appear as if you have forgotten the information.

  But this is in fact due to retrieval failure- not being able to access

  memories that are there.
• Tulving: Encoding Specificity Principle (ESP)


  Tulving suggested that cues help us to recall information from LTM.

  If a cue is to do this it has to be present at the time of learning. (encoding) and the time of retrieval (remembering).

  If cues at encoding and retrieval are different then there will be some

  forgetting.

  Two types of cues: context dependent and state dependent.
• Key Research Study: Godden & Baddeley (1975)


  Forgetting occurs when the external environment is different at recall from how it was at learning.

  Example- getting fewer marks in a test when sitting the test in a room you’re not familiar with than when sitting the test in your normal classroom.

  
• Key Research: Godden & Baddeley (1975)-Findings

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• Evaluation: The type of memory

  P: A limitation is that the context effect may be related to the kind of

  memory being tested.

  E: Godden and Baddeley replicated their underwater experiment but used a

  recognition test instead of recall. P’s had to say whether they recognised

  a word read to them from the list, instead of recalling it- there was no

  context effect.

  C: This means that the presence or absence of cues only affects memory when you test it in a certain way.
• Counterargument Evaluation: The type of memory

  However, Baddeley & Hitch’s research showed gender

  bias, they investigated interference using an all-male sample and applied their findings outside of this target population to include females. This is an example of beta bias, minimising the difference between males and females.
• Key Research: Carter & Cassaday (1998)


  Forgetting occurs when an individual’s internal state is dissimilar at

  recall to when information is coded.

  Example- trying to recall information learned when sober whilst you are

  drunk.

  
• Carter & Cassaday (1998): Findings

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• Evaluation: Research Support

  P: A strength is that there is a range of research support for retrieval

  failure.

  E: The studies by Godden & Baddeley and Cater & Cassaday are just two examples of this research. Researcher Eysenck (2010) goes so far to argue that retrieval failure is perhaps the main reason for forgetting from LTM.

  C: This is a strength because supporting evidence increases the validity (accuracy) of an explanation. This is especially true when the evidence shows that retrieval failure occurs in real-life situations as well as within the highly controlled conditions of the lab.