Eich (1985)

Question 1

Abstract?

Answer 1

• looked at the effects of environmental context change on memory

Question 2

Introduction?

Answer 2

• hypothesised that the recall of objects that had been imagined as being integrated with the existing environment context would be more adversely affected by a change in that context than objects imagined as isolated entities

Question 3

Methods?

Answer 3

• Had to read a list of names for common objects in 1 or 2 decorated rooms
• Then did a free recall test either in the same (constant) or alternative room (changed context)
• Half of the subjects in either condition were asked to generate and report an isolated image of the object
• The other half were asked to produce an integrated image where the object was associated with a feature of the room

Question 4

Results?

Answer 4

• people were better at recalling integrated over isolated images
• advantage of staying in a constant environment
• integrated images were much more effected by a change in environment
• advantage in recall of constant over changed context conditions but only for integrated imagery items

Question 5

Discussion?

Answer 5

• change in context significantly impaired the free recall of integrated imagery items but not isolated items
• G+B found that connections between learned material + the learning environment could be acquired automatically
• this is not the case in this study and the most likely reason for this is that the different rooms did not intend to induce different affects + there were no psychological changes

Question 6

What can the Eich paper tell us that the Godden & Baddeley paper can’t?

Answer 6

• It can tell us about the effect of integrating the items that you were going to recall with things you could see in the environment
• It tells us that people struggled to recall integrated images more than isolated images when there was a change in context

Question 7

What are the advantages of Eich’s paper compared to G+B?

Answer 7

• More fine-grained understanding of when the effect appears
  -> by telling people to remember things as isolated or integrated images we can control how people are remembering these things
• Lab study = can exercise greater control over other possible influences