We’ve all had that awkward moment where we recognise someone instantly, but their name has completely vanished.

Why does that happen? And are we really worse with names than faces, or does it just feel that way?

In this episode, Grace is joined by Chartered Psychologist Dr Jo Kandola explore one of the most relatable mysteries of human memory. From everyday social slip-ups to the psychology of recognition and recall, they unpack why names can be so difficult to remember and what that reveals about how memory actually works.

Along the way, they delve into research on metamemory and the brilliantly named “Butcher on the Bus” phenomenon, revealing why our intuitions about memory are not always as reliable as they seem.

If you’ve ever smiled confidently at someone while silently panicking over what they’re called, hopefully this episode will make you feel a little less embarrassed.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

References:

• Jenkins, R., Murray, A., & Dowsett, A. J. (2021). “I recognise your name but I can’t remember your face”: Name recognition outperforms face recognition. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74(12), 2157–2165.
• Jenkins, R., Dowsett, A. J., & Burton, A. M. (2018). How many faces do people know?
• Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 285(1888), 20181319.
• Bruce, V., & Young, A. (1986). Understanding face recognition. British Journal of Psychology, 77(3), 305–327.
• Burke, D. M., MacKay, D. G., Worthley, J. S., & Wade, E. (1991). On the tip of the tongue: What causes word finding failures in young and older adults? Journal of Memory and Language, 30(5), 542–579.
• Mandler, G. (1980). Recognizing: The judgment of previous occurrence. Psychological Review, 87(3), 252–271.