Encoding Specificity
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In the study of human memory and cognition, there are few who have led and inspired the field of psychology more than Endel Tulving. Tulving, a cognitive psychologist, has devoted much of his life on the study of memory. His research includes the Principal of Encoding Specificity, which states that the value of a retrieval cue depends on how well it corresponds to the memory code. Memories are records of how we experienced events, not replicas of the events themselves. Encoding specificity plays an important role in recalling memories and everyday life's events although many do not realize it.
For example, a person in their bedroom has realized that he needs something from the kitchen. However, once he has arrived in the kitchen, he has forgotten what he needed. He returns to the bedroom, which is rich in contextual cues, and immediately remembers what he wanted. Trying to recall an event by placing yourself back in the context in which the event occurred involves aiding retrieval by using contextual cues. Contextual cues facilitate the retrieval of information...