How Feedback Can Affect Metacomprehension and the Decision to Progress

• Published in: Journal of cognitive education and psychology Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 182 - 196
• Main Authors: Wright, Daniel B., Wolff, Sarah M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer Publishing Company 01-01-2022
• Subjects: Adults; Behavioral Sciences; Beliefs; Cognitive, Biological, and Neurological Psychology; Comprehension; Decision Making; Evaluation; Feedback (Response); Knowledge Level; Metacognition; Psychology; School and Educational Psychology; Scores; Self Concept; Self Evaluation (Individuals); Social and Personality Psychology; metacomprehension; feedback; assessment; self-regulation; metacognition; personalized learning
• ISSN: 1945-8959; 1810-7621
• DOI: 10.1891/JCEP-2021-0010

How much people believe that they understand information, so-called metacomprehension, is important for education. This ability to discriminate between well-learned versus not well-learned information is important to allow the student to decide which areas need further understanding. Feedback can affect metacomprehension and is important for guiding student self-regulated learning. The effects of taking an assessment and finding out the score on self-rated understanding, interest, and knowledge were measured. Participants sampled via MTurk were randomly allocated to one of three groups using Qualtrics in-built randomizer, with the restriction of equal numbers in conditions. The three groups were asked metacomprehension questions: a) after reading a passage but before taking an assessment (Pre-Test group); b) after taking an assessment but before being told their score (Post-Test group); and c) after hearing their score (Post-Feedback group). Responses for understanding and interest substantially decreased between those asked these questions before receiving the feedback versus those asked after receiving the feedback. These self-ratings were also used to predict scores on a later assessment and were similar in their diagnostic value for all conditions.