Context Specific

A social psychology experiment asked scuba divers to memorise a list of randomly selected words above and below water.

The findings showed that words memorised underwater were better recalled below the water, as opposed to above the water. The experiment showed the importance of contexts in recalling information.

Contexts are made up of cues (light, temperature, landmarks and features), which can trigger memory. It is therefore not surprising that teachers often encourage their students to learn in the exact or similar contexts to where they will have to write their exams.

Contexts have also been known to have an impact on addiction, where certain contexts can increase the urge to use.