Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
Active help-seeking and metacognition interact in supporting children's retention of science facts
Michelle Shields1, Grai Calabro1, Diana Selmeczy1
1Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, USA.
Abstract:
Determining when to ask for help is a critical self-regulated strategy that can benefit children's learning. Despite its importance, we have a limited understanding about the developmental mechanisms that support adaptive help-seeking. In the current preregistered study, predominately White children aged 8 to 13 years (N = 69, ngirls = 37) had the option to seek help during an online science learning task. Results revealed that children's ability to adaptively seek help improved throughout childhood and early adolescence. Critically, developing metacognitive skills contributed to greater help-related memory benefits (compared with conditions where help was not previously available). Overall, these findings highlight the role of metacognition in children's ability to adaptively seek and benefit from help during online science learning.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Metacognition
The Scientific Method
Retrieval
Recall involves accessing information without cues, such as during an essay test, where individuals must retrieve facts and concepts from memory unaided. Another example is remembering the name of a colleague...
Information Processing Approach
Interference and Decay
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
Psychology as a Science
The scientific method in psychology involves six critical steps: making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting tests, analyzing...

