The effects of demand characteristics on the reporting of tip-of-tongue and feeling-of-knowing states

We examined the effects of demand characteristics on the frequency and accuracy of reported feeling-of-knowing (FOK) and tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) states. In two experiments, self-presentational demands were manipulated using instructions that led subjects to expect either easy-to-answer questions (high-demand condition) or difficult-to-answer questions (low-demand condition). For unanswered questions, subjects were asked to report whether they were in a TOT state (Experiment 1) or a FOK state (Experiment 2). Results revealed that the self-presentation manipulation affected the frequency of reported TOTs but had no effect on the frequency of reported FOKs, nor was there an effect on the accuracy of reported TOTs and FOKs. The present findings support an explanation of these phenomena that stresses the role of inferential mechanisms in making TOT and FOK judgments.

The effects of demand characteristics on the reporting of tip-of-tongue and feeling-of-knowing states Academic Article