This Is Why Moms Call Their Family Members By The Wrong Name
Apr 25, 2018 by apost team
When you’re talking to a family member, have you ever called them the wrong name? Sometimes we draw a blank and go through every one of our children’s names before landing on the right one.
This is awkward and can be embarrassing – usually, we just laugh and move on.
What is the reason why we can’t think of a family member’s name and have to go through the list before we come up with the right one?
apost.com
Scientists say it is a result of the emotional ties between family members. It is known as “misnaming.” Researchers from Duke University examined this occurrence.
They started by asking this question: “Why can’t I think of the right name when talking to a family member?”
Quartz published an article where the scientists explained the phenomenon.
In the study, scientists surveyed 1,700 people. They asked whether they had been misnamed in the past, or whether family members had misnamed them.
They asked about the relationships between the people who were misnamed.
The study came up with results they expected. Most of the people who did the misnaming were moms, and most called their children by the name of another sibling. Some even mixed in the names of family pets.
The scientists went on to discover that social groups determine who is “misnamed.” When family members use the wrong name, they almost always stay within the family. For groups of friends, they stay within the group as well.
Social bonds are formed in the mind in neural networks. These names are strongly associated in the misnaming person’s mind. It’s easy for the mind to pick the wrong name from these social groups.
When a mother can’t pick the correct child’s name off the top of her head, it is because she strongly associates the siblings with each other in the same social group and loves them both very much.
Don’t be upset that you are called by the wrong name, nor embarrassed if you’re the one doing the misnaming. All it means is that you are loved and associated with your family members in someone’s mind.
Do you call your family members by the wrong name? How about the name of a family pet? Let us know how often it happens to you and make sure the moms you know don't miss this article!