RetrievalRetrievalChapter 8, Lecture 4Chapter 8, Lecture 4

“Tests of recognition and of time spentrelearning confirm the point: We remembermore than we recall.”

- David Myers

Retrieval: Getting Information Out

Retrieval refers to getting information out of the memory store.

Spanky’s Yearbook A

rchive

Spanky’s Yearbook A

rchive

Measures of Memory

In recognition, the person must identify an item amongst other choices. (A

multiple-choice test requires recognition.)

1. Name the capital of France.

a. Brusselsb. Romec. Londond. Paris

Measures of Memory

In recall, the person must retrieve information using effort. (A fill-in-the blank

test requires recall.)

1. The capital of France is ______.

Measures of Memory

In relearning, the individual shows how much time (or effort) is saved when

learning material for the second time.

ListJetDaggerTreeKite…SilkFrogRing

It took 10 trialsto learn this list

ListJetDaggerTreeKite…SilkFrogRing

It took 5 trialsto learn the list

1 day laterSaving

OriginalTrials

RelearningTrials

RelearningTrials

10 510

50%

X 100

X 100

Retrieval CuesMemories are held in storage by a web of associations. These associations are like

anchors that help retrieve memory.

Fire Truck

truck

red

fire

heatsmoke

smellwater

hose

Let’s try some demonstrations of this phenomenon…

Priming

To retrieve a specific memory from the web of associations, you must first activate one of the strands that leads to it. This process is called

priming.

Context EffectsScuba divers recall more words underwater

if they learned the list underwater, while they recall more words on land if they

learned that list on land (Godden & Baddeley, 1975).

Fred McC

onnaughey/Photo R

esearchers

Context EffectsAfter learning to move a mobile by kicking,

infants most strongly respond when retested in the same context rather than in a different context (Rovee-Collier, 1993).

Courtesy of C

arolyn Rovee-

Collier, R

utgers University

Déjà VuDéjà Vu means “I've experienced this before.” Cues from the current situation may unconsciously trigger retrieval of an

earlier similar experience.

© T

he New

Yorker C

ollection,1990. L

eo Cullum

from

cartoonbank.com. A

ll Rights R

eserved

Moods and MemoriesWe usually recall experiences that are

consistent with our current mood (state-dependent memory). Emotions, or moods, serve as retrieval cues. Our memories are

mood-congruent.

Jorgen Schytte/ Still Pictures

HomeworkRead p.349-356

“When teens are down, their parents seeminhuman; as their mood brightens, their parentsmorph from devils into angels.”

- David Myers