Instructed learning strategy use eliminates negative reactivity of immediate judgments of learning

TL;DR

This study shows that providing learning strategy instructions can eliminate the negative impact of self-predicting memory performance during learning.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that targeted learning strategy instructions counteract negative reactivity of immediate judgments of learning.

Findings

Making JOLs without strategy instructions impaired memory for unrelated word pairs.

Learning strategy instructions eliminated the negative effects of JOL reactivity.

Negative JOL reactivity may stem from changes in learning strategy use.

Abstract

Predicting one’s own future memory during learning (immediate judgments of learning, JOLs) can reactively alter memory performance. Recent evidence shows that making JOLs is associated with changes in the spontaneous use of learning strategies and that these changes mediate negative effects of immediate JOLs on cued recall of unrelated word pairs. This study tests whether a learning strategy instruction targeted at JOL-induced changes in spontaneous learning strategy use reduces negative JOL reactivity. Two experiments (Experiment 1: N = 193, Experiment 2: N = 200) compared cued recall of related and unrelated word pairs between groups of participants who (a) provided JOLs during study, (b) provided JOLs during study and were instructed to study unrelated pairs using mental imagery (Experiment 1) or any learning strategy (Experiment 2), or (c) did not provide JOLs and did not receive a learning strategy instruction. In both experiments, making JOLs without learning strategy instructions impaired memory performance for unrelated word pairs compared to not making JOLs (negative JOL reactivity). Importantly, learning strategy instructions eliminated negative JOL reactivity. Together with findings on spontaneous learning strategy use, these results indicate that negative JOL reactivity may be due to changes in learning strategy use, aligning with theoretical accounts that attribute negative JOL reactivity to dual-task costs or changes in goals pursued during learning.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.3758/s13423-025-02844-w.

Figures