State-Dependent Memory
Updated 2026-08-08
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A finding from learning research: information encoded under a particular internal condition, such as a mood, a physiological state, or the influence of a substance, is retrieved more easily when that condition is reinstated. The internal state functions as an additional retrieval cue alongside the external context, so mismatched states impair access to the memory. The effect is strongest for pronounced states such as intoxication or intense emotion. Qualification: the effect holds reliably for strong internal cues and does not generalize to all memory, so returning to a state is a useful hint rather than a dependable technique.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- State reinstatement: when a memory will not come, return to the room, posture, or mood in which you formed it. - Encoding choice: study in conditions similar to those you will be tested or used in. - Cue inventory: treat emotions and physical settings as retrieval handles rather than as irrelevant background.
Anchor fast decisions
Encoding leaves traces that are bound to the conditions present at the time, including internal ones. Those conditions become part of the cue set, so reinstating them raises the probability that the trace is reactivated. When the internal state differs at retrieval, part of the cue set is missing and access is slower or fails, which is why a memory formed while drunk surfaces most readily while drunk again.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State-dependent_memoryverified
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