Retrieval Induced Forgetting (RIF)

Background

The Retrieval Induced Forgetting (RIF) task is a cognitive-behavioral paradigm demonstrating the memory phenomenon where actively recalling specific information causes the forgetting of related, non-retrieved information. The task was published by Michael C. Anderson and colleagues in 1994. The typical setup of a RIF experiment includes:

1. a study/encoding phase for all test items (e.g. learn 'orange', 'apple' and 'car') and their respective categories (e.g. fruit and vehicles),
2. a 'practice' retrieval phase for some of the items (e.g. retrieve 'orange' but not 'apple' nor 'car') and
3. a final retrieval test for all studied items (e.g. retrieve 'orange', 'apple', and 'car'). Retrieval in both, the test and practice phase, is tested with a cued-retrieval paradigm in which a category cue as well as the first letter of the item is provided (e.g. fruit: o____), and participants are asked to fill in the missing letters of the item.

Anderson et al found that participants typically are much less successful in retrieving non-practiced items such as 'apple' that are related to a 'practice' item (e.g. orange) compared to non-practice control items such as 'car', that are unrelated to any of the practice items. Anderson et al (1994) suggest that recalling items (e.g. fruit-orange) competes with recalling other items of the same category (e.g. fruit-apple) which are then actively suppressed by the brain to reduce interference.

Throughout their sequence of experiments, the researchers manipulated the relationship of the exemplars to their superordinate categories, e.g. they tested strong exemplars (e.g. fruit-orange) and weak ones (e.g. fruit-raisin). They found that retrieval induced forgetting particularly affected items of the same strong category relationship (e.g. fruit-apple) but left weak ones unaffected (e.g. fruit-raisin).

The Millisecond RAF task is based on Anderson's et al (1994) setup from Experiment 3, in which they tested four different between-participant conditions that systematically manipulate the (weak vs. strong) relationships of the presented exemplars to their categories during learning and practice:

• SS: uses only strong exemplars during learning and practice
• WW: uses only weak exemplars during learning and practice
• SW: uses a mix of strong and weak ones during learning, but uses only the strong exemplars for practice
• WS: uses a mix of strong and weak ones during learning, but uses only the weak exemplars for practice

Furthermore, the design also manipulates within-participants the order in which the practiced (RP+) vs. non-practiced (RP-) items are presented during the test. Half the (practiced) categories present the RP+ items before their RP- items; half the categories present the RP+ items after their RP- items. By 'forcing' participants to retrieve the RP- items before their RP+ counterparts, Anderson et al could show that Retrieval Induced Forgetting went beyond expected output interference from the practiced RP+ items.

Task Procedure

The Millisecond RIF script provides 8 different between-participant conditions (the four main between-participant groups -SS,WW,SW,WS- with two stimuli versions each which counterbalance the categories selected for practice) that can either be run independently or within a larger design controlled by a batch script.

In each condition, participants work through several phases:

1. Study Phase: During the study phase, participants learn 6 category-exemplar pairs from 8 test categories and 2 filler categories. Depending on the between-participant condition a participant is assigned to, the exemplars are either all strong (SS), all weak (WW) or a mix (SW, WS).

2. Practice (Retrieval) Phase: Half the presented test categories (4) are chosen for a cued-retrieval practice procedure (RP). The other test categories are designated control categories (NPR). Of the RP categories only half of the exemplars (3 items) are actually used during practice (RP+). The other half are designated comparison items (RP-). Depending on the between-participant condition a participant is assigned to, practice items are either all strong (SS, SW) or weak (WW, WS). Each practice trial presents a category label and the first character of one of its RP+ exemplars (e.g. fruit: o____). Participants have 10 seconds each to complete the exemplar. By default, each RP+ exemplar is presented 3 times. Filler exemplars of the two filler categories are presented at the start and the end of the practice sequence. The remaining categories/exemplars are presented in a randomized order. By default, the practice phase presents 54 trials.

3. Test (Retrieval) Phase: For the test, participants are running through a similar setup as used during the practice with the following differences:

• categories are tested in a blocked format, but the order of the blocks is randomized
• all learning items are presented (except for the 2nd filler category)
• RP+/RP- items are systematically varied in presentation order
• The first category label is that of one of the filler categories. By default, the practice phase presents 54 trials. Note that an unrelated filler task can be run inbetween practice and test phase.

What it Measures

The Retrieval Induced Forgetting (RIF) task primarily measures memory inhibition

Psychological domains

• Short-term Memory: Temporary storage of information (limited)
• Long-term Memory: Brain system for storing, managing, and retrieving information over extended periods
• Episodic Memory: Type of declarative long-term memory that involves the recollection of specific event instances or episodes
• Acquisition: The ability to absorb new information over repeated exposures
• Encoding: Ability to organize and store information in long-term memory
• Retention: Ability to hold on information in long-term memory
• Retrieval: Ability to search, locate, and extract static facts from long-term memory
• Forgetting: Inability to retrieve or access information that was previously successfully encoded into memory storage
• Memory Inhibition: Suppresses of irrelevant or competing memories to facilitate the retrieval of a specific target memory

Main Performance Metrics

• RIF Score: Difference in recall performance of control items (NRP-) and RP- items, main measure of RIF

Psychiatric Conditions

Retrieval Induced Forgetting (RIF) task is a basic research paradigm rather than a diagnostic or neuropsychological instrument.

References

Search Google Scholar for peer-reviewed, published research using the Inquisit Retrieval Induced Forgetting (RIF).

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Anderson, M. C., Bjork, R. A., & Bjork, E. L. (1994). Remembering Can Cause Forgetting: Retrieval Dynamics in Long-Term Memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 20(5), 1063–1087. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.20.5.1063

Pica, G., Pierro, A., Bélanger, J. J., & Kruglanski, A. W. (2013). The Motivational Dynamics of Retrieval-Induced Forgetting: A Test of Cognitive Energetics Theory. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 39(11), 1530–1541. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167213499237

Soares, J. S., Polack, C. W., & Miller, R. R. (2016). Retrieval-Induced Versus Context-Induced Forgetting: Does Retrieval-Induced Forgetting Depend on Context Shifts? Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 42(3), 366–378. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000171

Sozer, E., Fagin, M., Meksin, R., & Hirst, W. (2025). Durability of retrieval-induced forgetting: Effects of different practice schedules. Memory & Cognition, 53(4), 1095–1111. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-024-01634-4