A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

According to Godden and Badderly's study, when did divers remember information best?

1. When underwater

2. Upon returning to dry land

3. Regardless of their environment

4. In controlled lab settings

The correct answer is: When underwater

The correct answer highlights the findings of Godden and Baddeley's study, which demonstrated the concept of context-dependent memory. In their experiment, divers learned a list of words either underwater or on dry land. The results indicated that the divers remembered the information better when they were in the same environment in which they learned it. This means that when the divers were underwater, they recalled the words they learned more effectively compared to when they returned to dry land. This supports the idea that environmental context plays a significant role in memory retention. In contrast, recalling information upon returning to dry land or regardless of the environment does not align with the specific context-dependent memory effects observed in the study. The mention of controlled lab settings does not pertain to the specific environmental emphasis of the original experiment. Thus, the focus on underwater recall reflects the pivotal role of context in memory processes, as evidenced by the study's findings.