Some people have a really bad habit – constantly losing their car keys.
Just like the TV remote control car keys do seem to have a nasty habit of growing legs and getting into spots they know you would never look.
Popular hiding spots are under beds and wedged in between the cushions on the lounge.
While most of us mutter words under our breath in frustration while desperately searching for keys and other objects scientists now say we should actually call out for them.
UK academics Assistant Professor Gary Lupyan and Associate Professor Daniel Swingley have been researching the lost keys phenomenon and say you have a much better chance of finding a lost item if you same its name out loud.
Their research indicated that when we hear an object’s name it can improve our effectiveness in searching multiple places for the item.
The professors say that when participants in their research were are asked to find a visual item among other objects, hearing its name immediately prior to searching improves speed and efficiency of searching for the named object.
One possible explanation could be that the behaviour showed language was not just a tool for communication.
In addition speech could also help us to concentrate better.
So give it a go next time you have misplace your keys, if however you are looking for your lost car in a shopping centre car park it’s probably not a very smart idea to go around yelling out for your car!
