retrieval failure due to absence of cues

Question 1

AO1

Answer 1

Retrieval failure is when information is in LTM, but can’t be accessed because there is nothing to trigger the memory.
Retrieval cues are triggers that allow us to access a memory, there are 2 types.
Context - the setting or situation in which information is encoded and retrieved. Evidence indicates that retrieval is more likely when the context at encoding matches the context at retrieval.
For example, Abernethy showed that students did better on a test when it was conducted in the same classroom that they had been taught in rather than another classroom.
State - something internal to the person (mood or physical state). Memory is believed to be best when a person’s physical or psychological state is similar at encoding and retrieval.
For example, when someone tells you a joke, you are more likely to remember it when in a happy state.

Question 2

AO3 - Goodwin et al, alcohol

Answer 2

Goodwin et al investigated the effect of alcohol on state-dependent retrieval. They found that when people encoded information whilst drunk, they were more likely to be able to recall it when in the same state. For example, when they hid money whilst drunk, they were unable to find it whilst sober, but able to find it whilst drunk again.

Question 3

AO3 - Godden and Baddeley

Answer 3

Godden & Baddeley investigated context-dependent retrieval. A group of divers learned words either on land or underwater, and then recalled the words either in the same or other environment. They found that those who had recalled in the same environment in which they had learnt recalled 40% more words than those who had recalled in a different environment.

Question 4

AO3 - crime reconstruction

Answer 4

Practical application - crime reconstruction. Reconstructing crime somewhere that looks similar to where the crime was committed, gives state and context cues to trigger memories, and therefore reduces retrieval failure.

Question 5

AO3 - lab experiments

Answer 5

A lot of psychological research on retrieval failure is conducted in lab experiments, therefore have low ecological validity as the findings cannot be generalised. But, highly controlled, so high reliability.