Here’s why we have those tip-of-the-tongue moments
February 27th, 2010 - 12:46 pm ICT by ANIWashington, February 27 (ANI): Remember scratching your head when you couldn’t recall the word you intended to use and it kept hanging at the tip of your tongue but never came out? Well, researchers have offered to explain the reason behind the annoying phenomenon.
Karen Emmorey, director of the Laboratory for Language and Cognitive Neuroscience at San Diego State University, suggested forgetfulness may have something to do with the lapses.
Emmorey and her colleagues tested the idea of a mechanism called phonological blocking, where people try to think of a specific word and some other, similar-sounding word pops up in the brain and “blocks” their ability to access the right word, Live Science reported.
Boffins tested people who spoke two languages, as well as deaf people who use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate.
Emmorey said: “We wanted to look at whether we saw a parallel in signers - do they have a tip-of-the-finger state?”
The expert proposed the forgetfulness may have to do with how frequently or infrequently we use certain words, suggesting the less the word is used the harder the brain has to work to recall it.
The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Diego, California. (ANI)
- All languages are created in the same brain areas - Feb 27, 2010
- Deaf quicker at catching body language - Jan 13, 2012
- Sign language speakers use hands and mouth separately - Aug 24, 2010
- Why that word is on the tip of your tongue? - Jun 09, 2009
- No link between dyslexia and lack of musical ability - Apr 09, 2010
- Kids as young as 19 months develop cross-dialect skill - May 07, 2009
- Soon, deaf people to use sign language on cell phones to talk - Aug 17, 2010
- Same brain regions translate words and gestures - Nov 10, 2009
- NASA astronaut sends first message in sign language from space station - Jul 24, 2010
- People tend to mirror mannerisms of those they like - Aug 01, 2011
- Found! Cells that drive brain's adaptability - Jan 02, 2012
- Cellphone holding shows your dominant side of brain - Feb 22, 2012
- Why isn't the answer always on the tip of the tongue? - Jun 17, 2012
- In the blind, brain parts used for vision can help understand languages - Mar 01, 2011
- Blame your genes for that stammer, says new study - Feb 21, 2011
Tags: advancement of science, american association for the advancement of science, american sign language, annual meeting, association for the advancement of science, brain, cognitive neuroscience, colleagues, diego state university, forgetfulness, karen emmorey, languages, lapses, live science, phenomenon, san diego california, san diego state, san diego state university, tip of the tongue, tip of your tongue