There are three stages that information goes through to become a memory:
Forgetting a memory can result from a failure in any one of these processes, and it is important to differentiate between the availability and accessibility of a memory.
Regarding availability, if a memory is not available, then there is a problem with either the encoding or the storage of that memory. It is not within long-term memory.
Regarding accessibility, if a memory is not accessible, then it is possible to make it available. It can still be inside of long-term storage, but there is a problem with the retrieval of that information.
If there is a problem with retrieval, how do you actually recover that data? Psychologists have found that certain environmental factors can affect your memory.
EXAMPLE
If you forgot something you were planning to do in your house while walking through it, you might walk back to the room where you first had the thought in, and find that you remember what you were planning to do.IN CONTEXT
Sensory information can be used as a memory cue. John is a student studying for a big test. While studying, he uses the smell of peppermint and associates it to important points that he has to remember for the test.
When the day of the test comes, he brings peppermint with him. If John has trouble remembering something during the test, he can use the peppermint to jog his memory and recall all of those facts. It may sound a little strange, but it is effective.
EXAMPLE
Suppose you learned something when you were drinking alcohol. Later, you can't quite remember what it was, so you drink something alcoholic again. That state of intoxication can help in the retrieval process, if it was the current state when you were encoding that information.State-dependent learning can also apply to emotional states like mood.
EXAMPLE
When you are sad, you may remember more sad things that you learned when you were previously depressed. This, in turn, can lead to feelings of more depression.Source: This work is adapted from Sophia author Erick Taggart.