PS_1.070 - Do judgments of learning lead to improved memory?

Larsson Sundqvist, M. , Todorov, I. & Jönsson, F.

Department of Psychology, Stockholm University

Judgments of Learning (JOL) that are made after a delay, instead of immediately after study, are more accurate in terms of predicting later recall (the delayed JOL effect). The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy (SFP) theory describes the delayed JOL effect as the result of a testing effect. In this experiment we tested the prediction that performing delayed JOLs leads to a memory improvement. During learning, 79 participants studied Swahili-Swedish word pairs, immediately followed by a cued recall test, and then made either one single or three repeated, spaced JOLs. A final cued recall test was given after either 5 minutes or 1 week. Making repeated JOLs did not increase memory performance compared to the single JOL condition, hence lending no support to the SFP theory.