[groby_b]

I think your overweighting the value of that in day-to-day use. As folks accumulate knowledge, a common pattern (especially for things not embedded in a framework - trivia-like data) is a "I have no idea why I'd know this, but the answer is X".

But even if it's embedded in a framework, say CS, the qualia fade in the background as time passes. E.g. like everybody in CS, I'm pretty much able to quote O() performance characteristics of a sizeable number of algorithms off the bat. If you ask me where I learned it, for that specific algorithm - that's long receded into the past.

When humans self-correct, the normal process isn't "gauging whether you know the thing" or the even more impressive feat of calling up if you heard it from a "less than reliable source". There's a fuzzy sense of "I don't fully understand it", and self-correction means re-verifying the info from a trusted source.

So, no, I don't think the qualia matter for recall as much as you think.