Retrieval Failure

When we dont have the neccessary cues to access a memory.

A trigger of information.

• may be meaningful or indirectly linked to the time of learning
• can be external or internal

TULVING- discovered a pattern

• cue must be present at encoding and retrieval
• if the cues a different (at encoding or retrieval)- forgetting
• cues can be linked to the material in a meaningful way.

GODDEN and BADDELEY

Procedure- the divers learned a list of words

The Four Conditions:

• learn on land, recall on land
• learn on land, recall underwater
• learn underwater, recall underwater
• learn underwater, recall on land

Findings-

• If the environment matched- recall was better
• 40% less accurate recall for non-matching
• the external cues were different at encoding and recall- retrieval failure

CARTER and CASSADAY

Procedure- learn word lists while...

• ppts took anti-histamines, made them slightly drowsey
• creates a unique internal state, different from normal state of alertness

The Four Conditions-

• learn on drug/off drug, recall on drug
• learn on drug/off drug, recall off drug

Findings-

• Matched conditons- better recall
• worse recall where internal state was a mismatch- absence of cues meant forgetting