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Retrieval Techniques

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Synonyms

Recall; Remembering

Definition

The act of accessing, regaining, or withdrawing information from memory.

Historical Background

Inability to retrieve information from memory is often due to poor storage, inaccurate perception, or limited rehearsal (Eysenck 1982). Retrieval failure may also be due to failure to process the information initially because of sensory or attentional deficits (Cutler and Grams 1988). Usually, however, the problem is that the person did not form the appropriate memory cue necessary to retrieve the information later.

Memory cues determine our ability to access and retrieve information that is available in memory. The ability to form effective memory cues is perhaps the most important aspect of retrieval (Tulving 1983). Recalling memory cues is much the same process as trying to recall the name of a file stored on a computer. Without knowing the file name, the person cannot recall the file. Remembering file names requires conscious rehearsal of the cues....

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Correspondence to Rick Parente .

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Parente, R., Chaney, GA., St. Pierre, M. (2018). Retrieval Techniques. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1150

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