Who has never felt this sudden discomfort, in full discussion, when a well -known word refuses to come to mind? This phenomenon, familiar and annoying, touches everyone. Researchers have looked into this “targeted amnesia” and claim that a simple gesture could unlock the memory and put the word lost in the foreground.
Why the word on the tip of the tongue escapes us
To forget a word or a name while knowing perfectly that you know it is not a worrying sign. Psychologists talk about “Word on the tip of the tongue“, A temporary failure that occurs when long -term memory is struggling to transmit precise information to consciousness. This blocking often occurs during stressful, fatigue or when it is a rare term, whose connections are not solid enough to facilitate its recall. In some cases, it can simply”get out of your head“.
The scientifically validated trick to unlock your memory
A study published in the journal Cognitive Sciences Has highlighted an unexpected solution: tap with its indexes on a surface. The experience, conducted with 90 participants, compared two situations. On the one hand, volunteers tried to find a word without moving, on the other, some accompanied their search for a small repetitive gesture with their fingers. As a result, those who moved their indexes found the word missing faster than the others.
Why this gesture with the fingers acts the brain
This success is explained by the joint activation of brain areas dedicated to language and movement. The study specifies: “When lexical recovery is difficult, the gesture effectively reduces cognitive load for those who find the task particularly trying and releases mental space“. In other words, this movement releases space in the brain and promotes access to the blocked word. This is why some naturally tend to gestle or tap an object when they seek to remember something.