ABSTRACT
The encoding specificity principle holds that retrieval is best when the cues and context during recall match the way in which information was encoded. Re-learning savings show that some memory was retained that could not be accessed by recall or recognition. Recognition memory may be tested by presenting target and irrelevant items individually, or by presenting together a list of target and irrelevant items. The process of memory search involves a conscious or unconscious search for retrieval cues. The usefulness of a retrieval cue depends on how it relates to the original encoding of the material. Some argue that retrieval cues are always involved; that the process of memory search involves looking for cues associated with information to be recalled. These cues may be contextual, feature-related, or semantic. Bartlett showed that recall is a reconstructive process: people often add information to make sense of what they recall. This might occur at encoding or at retrieval.
