Explanations for forgetting: retrieval failure

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  • Explanations for forgetting: retrieval failure
    • Encoding specificity principle
      • Tulving and pearlstone - memory is most effective when info is present at encoding as well as time of retrivial
        • Retrieval cues dont have to be exact but similar
          • Cues can be encoded to a varying degree along with the learnt material. They can act as a trigger to a memory
        • PPts learnt 48 words belonging to 12 categories. Presented as category + word.
          • PPT's could either free recall (recall as many as possible) or cue recall (given cues in the form of category names)
            • Free recall = 40%          Cued recall = 60%
    • Context-dependent forgetting
      • Abernehy classroom study
        • PPts were tested prior to starting a course. Then tested every week onwards
          • Different conditions - same teacher same room, same teacher different room, different room different teacher, different teacher, same room
            • Those tested by the same instructor in the same room performed the best - familiar things acted as cues
      • Underwater contexual cues study
        • Scuba divers learnt words either on land or underwater and then recalled them on either land or underwater
          • Recall was highest when initial context mached recall environment
    • State-dependent forgetting
      • The mental state you are in at the time of learning can also act as a cue- SDF
        • Drunk study = PPTs were asked to learn a list of words when drunk and recall when sober.
          • Recall was better when the person was in the same state to learning the words as to recalling the words
    • AO3
      • Research support
        • Evidence has show that retrieval failure occurs in real life situations as well as highly controlled lab conditions
          • = High validity
      • Problems with the ESP
        • ESP can't be tested so assumptions are made when a recall is successful, thinking a cue was involved
          • If a recall is not successful, we presume that the cue wasn't encoded at the time of learning the info
            • = Low validity
      • Context effects
        • Different contexts have to be very different before an effect is seen
          • Hard to find a different environment to land and underwater
            • Real-life application of retrieval failure due to context cues doesn't explain forgetting

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