Preschoolers' metamemory about the influence of effort and anticipated reward value on recall

Edgecombe, Wendy Jane (1994) Preschoolers' metamemory about the influence of effort and anticipated reward value on recall. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to examine the validity of preschoolers’ beliefs about the influence of effort and anticipated reward value on recall. In Experiment 1 preschoolers judged the individual and combined effects of high versus low memory effort, and high versus low anticipated reward value, on recall. The results indicated that preschoolers believe that recall increases with effort and with reward value. They also believe that the anticipation of a high value reward will elicit higher effort, and result in superior recall than the anticipation of a low value reward. The validity of these beliefs was investigated in Experiment 2 by examining preschoolers’ actual recall performance and strategic effort (study time and study behaviour) when promised a reward of either high or low value. Subjects recalled significantly more toys when they anticipated receiving a high relative to a low value reward. However, the value of the anticipated reward had no observable effects on study effort. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of preschoolers' beliefs about memory effort.

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