Exam 7: Long-Term Memory--Encoding and Retrieval

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State-dependent learning refers to the phenomenon in which a person is believed to retrieve information faster when they are in the same state during the retrieval moment as they were when they learned the information for the first time. Encoding specificity is quite similar to state-dependent learning but it focuses on the context or environment in which learning and retrieval take place. In another way, one can retrieve faster if the context or environment is the same during the time of retrieval as when they learned the information.

Three ways a student might apply these principles to enhance her learning in college courses are:

I) Drinking coffee before learning and information and doing the same before going to college or examination hall.

II) Using their favourite pen while learning information and using that during the semester too. ( encoding specificity)

III) As college classrooms or examination halls are mainly quiet so the student tries to create a similar environment at their home too.

In 1784 a French aristocrat called Marquis de puysegur found that when people come back to the normal state from a hypnotic state they can't recall any previous information. But when they were put in the hypnotic state again they were able to recall that information again. It shows that people can really better when their physical, mental state and mood is similar during the moment of learning and retrieval.

Thus it can be said that drinking coffee before learning something and before going to the examination hall would help the student to recall information faster than not drinking coffee. Also, the same environment and using the same pen would make the connection between the information they learned and the environment stronger. As a result, they will be able to do better in examinations and classroom activities.