Explanations for forgetting: Retrieval Failure

Encoding specificity principle

• Tulving: cues most effective if present at coding and at retrieval.
• May be a meaningful link.

Context-dependent forgetting

• Godden and Baddeley (deep-sea divers): recall better when external contexts matched.

State-dependant forgetting

• Carter and Cassaday (anti-histamine): recall better when internal states matched.

Supporting evidence

• Wide range of support.
• Eysenck claims retrieval failure is most important reason for LTM forgetting.

Questioning context effects

• Not forgetting unless contexts are very different.
• E.g. on land versus under water (Baddeley).

Recall versus recognition

• Absence of cues affects recall but not recognition.

Evaluation extra

• Problems with the encoding specificity principle
• Real-life applications