Mimi is recovering from serious back surgery and has been taking pain medication for the last several days. She has received multiple phone calls from friends and family

Later that week, off her medication, she can't seem to remember the names of anyone who called her. Which of the following provides the best explanation for her memory failure?
A) context-dependent learning
B) state-dependent learning
C) retroactive interference
D) proactive interference

Answer: B
Rationale: Retrieval is more effective when internal conditions—such as heart rate and arousal (physiological state)—match those experienced during encoding. This is known as state-dependent learning. In this example, it is likely that recall was made more difficult after Mimi stopped taking the medication, because the pain medication had created a unique physiological state.