Cuedependent

Cuedependent, often written cue-dependent, is a term in psychology describing the dependence of memory retrieval on retrieval cues. It refers to situations in which the ability to recall information is improved or enabled by cues that match the conditions present during encoding.

The concept is closely tied to the encoding specificity principle, which posits that memory traces are linked with the contextual features present when the information was learned. Retrieval is more successful when the cues available at recall match those present at encoding. Cue-dependent forgetting is a related idea describing retrieval failure that occurs when cues are absent, insufficiently distinctive, or otherwise fail to access the stored memory, even though the memory itself remains intact.

Cues can be external or internal. External cues include environmental context, location, time of day, or sensory stimuli such as odors. Internal cues involve internal states like mood, physiological conditions, or drug states. Semantic cues (categories or associations) can also serve as effective prompts for recall.

In research, cued recall tasks demonstrate that prompting with relevant cues enhances retrieval compared with free recall. In applied settings, cuedependence informs study strategies (using contextual or semantic cues during learning), eyewitness memory (context reinstatement),

and assessments of aging or memory disorders, where cueing might mitigate retrieval difficulties.

While many memories are accessible with minimal cues, a substantial portion of retrieval depends on appropriate cues. The degree of cue-dependence varies across individuals, tasks, and memory types.