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Momentary Forgetting: Entering and Leaving the TOT State USPHS

Author(s):
Ryan, Michael P.
Publication Year:
1976
Report Number:
RB-76-15
Source:
ETS Research Bulletin
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
18
Subject/Key Words:
United States Public Health Service (USPHS), Cognitive Processes, Memory, Recall (Psychology), Word Recognition

Abstract

The frequent description of tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) states as subthreshold memory traces is challenged by data showing that TOT genesis and TOT recovery are distinct processes. While encoding strategy is a strong predictor of TOT activity in paired-associate forgetting as compared to several estimates of response strength, neither factor influences the order in which hints cue retrieval. It is concluded that TOTs represent a failure of decoding processes in mediated retrieval. (18pp.)

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