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Self-paced study time as a cue for recall predictions across school age
Anja Hoffmann-Biencourt1, Kathrin Lockl, Wolfgang Schneider
1University of Wuerzburg, Germany. a.hoffmann@psychologie.uni-wuerzburg.de
The British Journal of Developmental Psychology
|December 3, 2010
Summary
Metacognition monitoring in children relies on control feedback. Judgments of learning (JOLs) decrease with study time (ST), showing a developmental trend in using mnemonic cues.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Metacognition monitoring can be influenced by control operation feedback.
- This metacognitive pattern has been observed in adults and elementary schoolchildren.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the generalizability of metacognitive monitoring based on control feedback across a wider age range.
- To examine developmental trends in metacognitive judgments in children.
Main Methods:
- A self-paced study time (ST) allocation paradigm was used with 160 participants from first to eighth grade.
- Picture pairs were employed as stimuli to accommodate varying reading abilities.
- Study time (ST) and judgments of learning (JOLs) were the primary variables analyzed.
Main Results:
- Children's JOLs decreased as ST increased, supporting the use of the effort heuristic.
- A weaker inverse relationship between JOLs and ST was observed in younger children.
- This indicates a developmental trend in how mnemonic cues influence metacognitive feelings.
Conclusions:
- Metacognitive feelings are shaped by mnemonic cues in children, similar to adults.
- There is a discernible developmental trajectory in the utilization of these cues throughout childhood.
- Findings highlight the importance of effort-based heuristics in children's metacognition.
