Can drinking again bring the memories back?
       Early anecdotal evidence suggested that blackouts might actually reflect state-dependent information storage-that is, people might be able to remember events that occurred while they were intoxicated if they returned to that state (e.g., Goodwin et al. 1969a). State-dependent memory can be viewed as a special case of a broader category known as context-dependent memory (e.g.,White et al., 2002a). Quite simply, cues that are associated with an event when a memory is formed tend to help trigger recall for that event at a later time. For instance, in a classic study by Godden and Baddeley (1975), divers who learned word lists either on land or under water remembered more words when tested in the same context in which learning took place (i.e., land-land or water-water). Likewise, returning to the same emotional or physiological state that was present when a memory was formed can often facilitate recall of that memory. It is not uncommon to hear stories of drinkers that stash alcohol or money while intoxicated and can only locate the hiding places once they become intoxicated again (Goodwin, 1995). Regardless of how compelling such stories can be, clear evidence of state-dependent learning under the influence of alcohol is lacking. In one recent study, Weissenborn and Duke (2000) examined whether subjects who learned word lists while intoxicated could recall more items if they were intoxicated again during the testing session. No such state-dependency was observed. Similarly, Lisman (1974) tried unsuccessfully to help subjects resurrect lost information for events occurring during periods of intoxication by getting them intoxicated once again.