Does Retrieval Fluency Contribute to the Underconfidence-With-Practice Effect?

Abstract

Judgments of learning (JOLs) made during multiple study-test trials underestimate increases in recall performance across those trials, an effect that has been dubbed the underconfidence-with-practice (UWP) effect. In 3 experiments, the authors examined the contribution of retrieval fluency to the UWP effect for immediate and delayed JOLs. The UWP effect was demonstrated with reliable underconfidence on Trial 2 occurring for both kinds of JOL. However, in contrast to a retrieval-fluency hypothesis, fine-grained analyses indicated that the reliance of JOLs on retrieval fluency contributed minimally to the UWP effect. Our discussion focuses on the status of the retrieval-fluency hypothesis for the UWP effect.

Judgments of learning are influenced by memory for past test

“…The JOLs would be inappropriate because items remembered on Trial 1, even with difficulty, are also likely to be recalled on Trial 2 (Benjamin & Bjork, 1996). In contrast to their expectations, Serra and Dunlosky (2005) did not find selective underconfidence for items that lacked retrieval fluency. Koriat et al (2002) ruled out three plausible explanations of the UWP effect: the underestimation of performance explanation, the study time allocation explanation and the hard-easy effect explanation.…”

“…Alternatively, immediate JOLs, which do not involve a diagnostic retrieval attempt, do have reason to rely on MPT. In support of the MPT heuristic, have noted that when judgments are delayed, the UWP effect is either reversed (Dunlosky & Connor, 1997;Koriat & Ma'ayan, 2005, Koriat, Ma'ayan, Sheffer & Bjork, 2006, absent Meeter & Nelson, 2003), or extremely truncated (Serra & Dunlosky, 2005). Furthermore, showed that past test performance predicted immediate JOLs, but not delayed JOLs.…”

“…A number of studies have ruled out other potential explanations of the UWP effect (Koriat, 1997;Koriat et al, 2002;Serra & Dunlosky, 2005). For example, Serra and Dunlosky (2005) eliminated a retrieval fluency explanation.…”

“…For example, Serra and Dunlosky (2005) eliminated a retrieval fluency explanation. That explanation proposed that items lacking retrieval fluency, because they had been recalled with difficulty on Trial 1, might be given inappropriately low subsequent JOLs, resulting in selective underconfidence.…”

Metacognition in Entrepreneurs: Psychometric Diagnostic Associated to Age and Sex

“…Some studies involving metacognition focus on only one aspect; for example, the influence of age and sex (SHARMA;LAROIYA, 2008), the metacognitive knowledge (WHITE;FREDERIKSEN, 2005), the metacognitive monitoring (VADHAN; STANDER, 1994), the metacognitive control (ROSS et al, 2006) or a combination of these, referred as metacognitive processes or strategies (KRAMARSKI et al, 2001). These studies were conducted in realistic settings, such as classrooms (VEENMAN;VERHEIJ, 2001;NIETFELD et al, 2005), or in Education or Psychology laboratories (JANG; NELSON, 2005;SERRA;DUNLOSKY, 2005). These investigations contributed with the use of dynamic methods applied to the reality of the classroom and the impacts of these studies are in the presentation of results, that point metacognition as an indispensable item in the dynamics of "thinking".…”