Todorov, I. , Larsson Sundqvist, M. & Jönsson, F.
Department of Psychology. Stockholm University. Stockholm, Sweden.
Properly tuned metacognitive knowledge is important for setting up realistic learning goals. One of the more robust findings in metacognitive science, the delayed JOL effect, pertains to the fact that delaying judgments of learning (JOL) leads to more accurate monitoring than immediate JOLs. We investigated students’ (n=60) knowledge about metacognitive strategies with regard to the delayed JOL effect. There was a significant effect on monitoring accuracy from delaying JOLs, yet the participants showed poor explicit knowledge of it, and neither did their choice of strategy improve with task experience. A manipulation of the JOL question, focusing it on either prediction of memory performance or current learning, failed to elicit significant change in strategy choice. The students’ predictions about their performance did not differ as a function of the altered phrasing of the JOL question. For a substantial sub-group of the participants (n=20) that kept consequently choosing the same strategy throughout the whole experiment there was a significant effect of phrasing of the JOL question. These results demonstrate the important role of correct assessment during ongoing learning, and that even experienced learners, such as, university undergraduates are seemingly unaware of which strategies lead to optimized monitoring.