Retrieval Process

The third step in the process of remembering, the retrieval process occurs to the way in which people are able to get back the memories that they have already encoded and stores. According to Robinson-Riegler and Robinson-Reigler (2008), "simply having stored this remnant of experience is no guarantee that you're going to remember it" (pg. 209). Indeed, in order to effectively "remember," one must engage in the retrieval process through which one uses his or her "retrieval clues," to released stored memory (Robinson-Riegler and Robinson-Riegler, 2008, pg. 225). The ability to remember something is based on whether that memory is both available and accessible, and the retrieval process is closely linked with the two processes that come before it -- encoding and storing. If a memory has been in encoded and stored, it is available, but having accessible memory is often the problem when it comes to retrieval failure.

In order to retrieve memories efficiently, people must rely on the retrieval clues that were embedded with the storing of the information, such as the types of memorization that students do for a test -- making analogies, using music, and performing other types of trucks. According to Robinson-Riegler and Robinson Riegler (2008), one retrieval clue that is important is overlap, or triggers -- called encoding specifically. Despite the best efforts made when encoding and storing, however, context impacts the retrieval process a great deal, perhaps accounting for lower retrieval rates when environments are changed during the encoding and retrieval process. Thus, although it is preceded by two other very important steps in the memory making and remembering process, retrieval is perhaps the most important of the three. After all, memory that cannot be retrieved is not worth much, and Robinson-Riegler and Robinson-Riegler (2008) have pointed out many memory problems are actually a result of an error in the retrieval process.

References

Robinson-Rieger, G. & Robinson-Rieger, B. (2008) Cognitive Psychology. Applying the Science of the Mind. Second Edition. New Jersey: Pearson.