Presque Vu: the Facts for You!
Lucy Hirschenberger
Why is this interesting?
1) "Tip of the Tongue"
2) Presque Vu
3) Lethologica (the psychological disorder that stops a person from remembering key points, words, etc. in conversations)
Now you know that there is science behind those little frustrating slips when that word escapes your mind right when you need it. :)
What exactly is Presque Vu?
It is referred to as "tip of the tongue" because it feels as if the word is right there but just out of reach enough to cause you to not remember.
Inside the Brain
Another theory is that because a word is kept in different parts of the brain based on components, such as length and sound, when the brain doesn't connect all of them the word won't come to you. However, some recollection like how long it is can come to knowledge.
The other, more widely accepted theory is that TOTs are due to the infrequency of using those particular words, since the brain has a harder time accessing words you don't use often.
Experts consider TOTs (tip of the tongues) as metacognitive, meaning the process is part of the "awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes". *
*definition taken from dictionary
Important Research
Their findings, on the contrast, showed that both the bilinguals and English/signers both had TOTs and "finger TOTs" about as often as the other.
This research came to the conclusion that the phonological blocking theory actually does not cause TOTs.
Some Extra Info
- People like to joke about Presque Vu, saying things like "I'm having a senior moment!" or "Brain Fart!"
- Presque Vu is actually a french wording meaning "almost seen".