Psychology: Memory Retrieval

Memory Retrieval

Retrieval is the process of getting information out of memory. Retrieval cues are stimuli that can be used to help retrieve memories. Priming is the process of identifying traces (perhaps associations made at the time the memory was formed) that lead to a memory. Some researchers believe that recalling the context of the original experience assists in retrieval; others believe that recalling the mood associated with the memory formation, a process called state-dependent learning, is helpful. For example, a person who is feeling depressed might recall an event that occurred during a previous period of depression. Some people create mental pictures of an event or object, a process called imagery, to enhance retrieval. A few individuals employ an extremely detailed photographic visualization called eidetic imagery.