forgetting

• what is retrieval failure ?

  a form of forgetting where we dont have the necessary cues to access a memory
• what is a cue ?

  a trigger of information that allows us to access a memory
• what was the procedure of the context dependent study ?

  scuba divers asked to recall list of words in different conditions :

  • condition one - learned underwater , recall underwater
  • condition two - learn underwater , recall on land
  • condition three - learn on land , recall underwater
  • condition four - learn on land , recall on land
• what were the findings of the context dependent study ?

  40% lower accuracy in recall in non-matching conditions
• what was the conclusion from the context dependent study ?

  absent external cues causes more forgetting
• what was the procedure of the state dependent study ?

  asked to recall list of words or passage :

  • condition one- learn w drug , recall w drug
  • condition two- learn w drug , recall w out drug
  • condition three- learn w out drug , recall w drug
  • condition four- learn w out drug , learn w out drug
• what were the findings from state dependent study ?

  accuracy lower in non matching conditions
• what were the conclusions from the state dependent study ?

  internal cues absent = more forgetting
• what is the evaluation of retrieval failure ?

  contexts - contexts must be very different in order to see any actual effect

  research support - scuba diver study shows 40% lower accuracy

  artifical stimulus - lacks ecological validity
• what is interference theory ?

  when one memory blocks another causing one or both memories to become forgotten or disorted
• what is proactive interference ?

  an old memory blocks a new memory
• what retroactive interference ?

  a new memory blocks an old memory
• what is the evaluation of interference theory ?

  effects of similarity - occurs more when similar memories

  research support - scuba diver study , 40% lower accuracy

  lacks ecological validity - artifical stimulus