Metacognition and learning about primacy and recency effects in free recall: The utilization of intrinsic and extrinsic cues when making judgments of learning

• Published in: Memory & cognition Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 429 - 437
• Main Author: Castel, Alan D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.03.2008; Psychonomic Society; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Attention; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Cognitive Psychology; Cues; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Humans; Judgment; Learning. Memory; Male; Memory; Memory, Short-Term; Mental Recall; Metacognition; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; R&D; Research & development; Semantics; Serial Learning; Studies; Verbal Learning; Recency Effect; Free Recall; Recall Performance; Serial Position Effect; Serial Position; Learning; Human; Acquisition process; Free recall; Memory; Metacognition; Metamemory; Recency effect; Cognition; Primacy effect; Experimental study
• ISSN: 0090-502X; 1532-5946
• DOI: 10.3758/MC.36.2.429

Although memory researchers know about primacy and recency effects, it is unclear whether students are aware of these effects and incorporate them when making judgments of learning (JOLs). The present research examined how participants use serial position information (extrinsic cues) when making JOLs after studying each item and showed that participants rely on the intrinsic qualities of the items and underestimate primacy and recency effects. However, when participants made JOLs prior to studying each item and engaged in multiple study-test sessions, their JOLs accurately reflected recall, as well as when serial position information was explicitly provided during the study phase. The findings are interpreted in a cue utilization framework and suggest that under certain conditions, participants can predict primacy and recency effects.