Memory - Explanations Of Forgetting (Retrieval Failure)

Question 1

What is retrieval failure?

Answer 1

A form of forgetting which occurs when we don’t have the necessary cues to access a memory. The memory is available but not accessible unless a suitable cue is provided

Question 2

What is a cue?

Answer 2

A ‘trigger’ of information that allows us to access a memory which may be meaningful or indirectly linked by being encoded at the time of learning, as well as being external (context) or internal (state)

Question 3

What is retrieval failure theory?

Answer 3

A theory of forgetting due to insufficient cues.

Question 4

What happens during retrieval failure?

Answer 4

When information is placed in the memory, so are the associated cues so if these cues are not available at the time of recall the memory appears forgotten

Question 5

Who came up with the encoding specificity principle?

Answer 5

Tulving

Question 6

What is the encoding specificity principle?

Answer 6

If a cue is helps the recall of information it has to be present at encoding & retrieval, if these cues are different at both encoding & retrieval there will be some forgetting

Question 7

How are some cues linked in a meaningful way to remembering information?

Answer 7

E.g. mnemonics or ways such as STM (may lead to recall of lots of information about short term memory)

Question 8

How are some cues encoded in a non meaningful way?

Answer 8

Context dependent forgetting & state-dependent forgetting

Question 9

Which psychologists studied context dependent forgetting?

Answer 9

Godden & Baddeley

Question 10

What was the study done by Godden & Baddeley?

Answer 10

They carried out a study on deep sea divers working underwater -> have to remember instructions before diving for work underwater

Question 11

What was the procedure of Godden & Baddeley’s experiment?

Answer 11

The divers learned a list of words underwater or on land & then were asked to recall the words either underwater or on land

Question 12

What were the 4 conditions of Godden & Baddeley’s experiment?

Answer 12

1) learn & recall on land
2) learn on land, recall underwater
3) learn underwater, recall on land
4) learn & recall underwater

Question 13

What were the findings of Godden & Baddeley’s experiment?

Answer 13

When both conditions were the same (e.g. DRY, DRY) learning & recall matched, when they didnt accurate recall reached 40%

Question 14

Which psychologists studied state-dependent forgetting?

Answer 14

Carter & Cassaday

Question 15

What was the purpose of Carter & Cassaday’s experiment?

Answer 15

They gave participants antihistamine drugs which made them drowsy. This created a different internal physiological state from their ‘normal’ state of alertness & then tested their recall of lists of words

Question 16

What was the procedure of Carter & Cassaday’s experiment?

Answer 16

The participants had to learn a list of words either on or off the drugs & then recall the information on of off the drugs again

Question 17

What were the 4 conditions of Carter & Cassaday’s experiment?

Answer 17

1) learn & recall on drugs
2) learn not on drugs, recall on drugs
3) learn on drugs, recall off drugs
4) learn & recall off drugs

Question 18

What were the findings of Carter & Cassaday’s experiment?

Answer 18

When both conditions were the same learning & recall matched, when they were different, performance was significantly worse

Question 19

What are some strengths to the retrieval failure theory of forgetting?

Answer 19

Supporting evidence - Eysenck -> believes retrieval failure is the one main reason for forgetting -> increases the validity of the explanation (in real life situations)