The purpose of the present experiment was to examine the function of retrieval in recall and recognition. Types of orienting task and of instructional condition were manipulated. Subjects performed both semantic and structural orienting tasks, under one of two types of instructional condition, the incidental or intentional learning condition. In structure level, it was shown that the interaction was present when subjects were tested in free recall and letter-cued recall, but was absent when tested in free recall and recognition. In semantic level, the interactions between instructional condition and retention type emerged. 'These results were considered from levels of processing point of view.