Theory 79/Tip-of-the-tongue/Rate lens
Tip-of-Tongue Is Slow Retrieval
The claim
The tip-of-the-tongue state occurs when retrieval rate falls below the rate at which the feeling of knowing fades, so slower retrievers experience it more.
01Mechanism
The metacognitive signal persists while the word does not arrive; the race between them determines the state.
02Prediction
Frequency should track retrieval speed.
03Refutation
Frequency tracking vocabulary size would remove the rate comparison.