The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon involves specific cognitive mechanisms for memory retrieval
Evidence strongly supports the claim that the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon is governed by specific cognitive and neural mechanisms involved in memory retrieval, such as lexical accessibility, mnemonic variables, and prefrontal cortex activation.
The retrieved papers ([0], [4], [5], [8]) directly investigate the tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) state as a memory retrieval phenomenon, analyzing its underlying neural correlates, mnemonic predictors, and cognitive frameworks. Papers [1], [2], [3], [6], and [7] are tangential, discussing broader memory theories, cognitive networks, aging, or unrelated linguistic/curiosity frameworks without directly weighing against the core claim. Thus, the evidence overwhelmingly supports the claim.
Hideyuki Kikyo, Kenichi Ohki, Kensuke Sekihara. Temporal characterization of memory retrieval processes: an fMRI study of the ‘tip of the tongue’ phenomenon. 2001. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0953-816x.2001.01711.x
Maril et al. (2001) used fMRI to demonstrate that specific brain regions, such as the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, are temporally dissociated and functionally specific to successful memory retrieval during tip-of-the-tongue states.
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Barry JC, Ferrer E, Lerma-Usabiaga G, Paz-Alonso PM. Mnemonic factors associated with the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96497-3
Bajo et al. (2025) found that specific mnemonic factors like age of acquisition, retrieval frequency, and recency reliably predict tip-of-the-tongue occurrences during semantic retrieval.
Rojas C, Sandoval Y, Farías B, Lagos G, Poza Á, Riffo B, Guerra E. Exploring the "Tip of the Tongue" and "Feeling of Knowing" Phenomena During Advanced Aging: The Interplay of Age of Acquisition, Vocabulary and Verbal Fluency.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121686
Ulu et al. (2025) applied a two-step word retrieval framework to show how lexical variables systematically impact tip-of-the-tongue and feeling-of-knowing cognitive states in word retrieval.
S R Brown. Tip-of-the-tongue phenomena: an introductory phenomenological analysis.. 2000. https://doi.org/10.1006/ccog.2000.0421
Schwartz (2000) integrates cognitive, functional, and phenomenological approaches to examine how cognitive mechanisms and inhibitory processes underlie tip-of-the-tongue states.
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