Graduate

To date, relatively little research has investigated participants’ ability to monitor their memory for faces and names. Four experiments were conducted with aim of developing a comprehensive profile of memory monitoring performance during face identification tasks. In each experiment, memory monitoring judgements were solicited during encoding and/or retrieval of unfamiliar face-name pairs. In general, subjective estimates of future and past memory performance were valid predictors of objective memory performance, regardless of whether a face or name was the item to be retrieved from memory. As a test of the stability of memory monitoring accuracy across different categories of stimuli, memory monitoring for face-name pairs was compared with noun-noun pairs. The predictive validity of estimates of future memory performance was similar across the categories of stimuli, but the predictive validity of estimates of past memory performance was superior for nouns compared with names. A subset of the studies examined the influence of face and name distinctiveness on memory and memory monitoring for face-name associations. This was done in an attempt to identify sources of information that individuals might use to monitor their memory during face-name learning. The beneficial effects of distinctiveness on associative memory were symmetrical between faces and names, such that relative to their typical counterparts, distinct faces enhanced memory for names, and distinct names enhanced memory for faces. These effects were also apparent in memory monitoring. Estimates of future and past memory performance were greater for face-name associations that contained a distinct face or name compared with a typical face or name, regardless of whether the distinct item was a cue or target. Moreover, the predictive validity of prospective monitoring improved with name distinctiveness, whereas the predictive validity of retrospective monitoring improved with facial distinctiveness. Altogether, the results of the dissertation indicate that participants can monitor their memory for faces and names at a level above chance, that retrospective metamemory is more accurate for nouns compared with names, and that distinctiveness not only affects the strength of the association between a face and a name, but also the ability to monitor that association.

Metacognition is defined as a person's awareness of the capabilities and vulnerabilities of their own cognition and also encompasses the actions that a person takes as a result of that awareness. The awareness and actions that a person takes are known as monitoring and control respectively. The relationship between accurate monitoring and improved control and performance has been borne out in multiple research studies. Unfortunately, people's metacognitive judgments are far from perfect; for low performers, that inaccuracy is most often in the form of overconfidence. Attempts to improve metacognitive monitoring and control have led to mixed results. The purpose of the experiments here was to examine whether participants could use confidence in their predictions to recalibrate subsequent performance predictions and to determine if improved metacognitive monitoring would confer benefits to metacognitive control. Would participants become less overconfident and would they then decide to study longer to improve performance? In three experiments, participants made predictions about their upcoming memory performance and reported their confidence that their predictions were accurate. Participants then adjusted their predictions so that they could be more confident the prediction was accurate. Experiment 1 served as a proof of concept ? it established that confidence judgments could be used to improve metacognitive monitoring accuracy. Experiment 2 explored the boundary conditions of the calibration improvement effect. The results revealed that continuous improvement in performance predictions was possible after reporting confidence. And finally, Experiment 3 showed that participants' improved monitoring accuracy did not influence metacognitive control, which in this study was allocation of study time. One possible reason why reporting confidence did not affect metacognitive control was that participants required feedback about the benefits of confidence judgments before the improved calibration effect would influence their decisions to allocate study time. Future research will examine the influence of reporting confidence and other interventions to improve calibration and performance.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1993. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [130]-144).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [154]-163).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-121). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-121). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Jakubowski, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Middle and Secondary Education. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed July 9, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [111]-123).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [111]-123). Also available in print.