Adults of all ages experience increased tip-of-the-tongue states under ostensible evaluative observation

Abstract

In previous research, young adults who were told they were being observed and evaluated reported more tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) instances than those who were not. We first tested whether the same effect is obtained for older adult participants, and then compared the effects of ostensible evaluative observation on word retrieval for adults across the lifespan. Participants in the observed condition were told they were being evaluated throughout the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) procedure and a word retrieval task, whereas participants in the unobserved condition performed similar tasks with no mention of observation or evaluation. In Experiment 1, older adult participants in the observed condition experienced more TOTs than those in the unobserved condition. In Experiment 2, observation increased TOTs to a similar extent for adults ages 18-80, replicating earlier findings with young adults and Experiment 1. Observation can impair cognitive performance similarly for adults of a wide range of ages.

Christopher J. Schmank

Statistics Consultant and Instructor/Assistant Professor

My research interests include the impact of psychosocial stress and emotional regulation on various cognitive abilities (i.e., processing speed, rationality, and language production). My additional skills include statistical modeling techniques using latent variable and/or psychometric network analyses. I am also experienced in user experience strategy and research including A/B testing, rapid prototyping, and competitive analyses.