retrieval

In psychology, recall is the process of retrieving information from memory without a specific cue. This differs from recognition, which involves identifying information from a set of options, like in a multiple-choice test. Essay tests, for instance, rely on recall.

Retrieval is more successful when the context of the retrieval matches the context of the original learning. Encountering someone in a new environment, like a shopping mall, can make recalling their name difficult compared to seeing them at school or work. Cues can aid recall, but recognition memory is generally more reliable than recall memory. Information is often organized in memory, and recalling it systematically, such as by category or alphabetically, enhances retrieval. The position of information within a list also affects recall, with items at the beginning and end being more easily remembered than those in the middle (serial-position effect).123