JUDGMENT OF LEARNING AT DELAYS - SHIFTS IN RESPONSE PATTERNS OR INCREASED METAMEMORY ACCURACY

Nelson and Dunlosky (1991) found that judgment-of-learning (JOL) accur acy (measured using G) was nearly perfect if the JOL was made several minutes after study (the delayed-JOL effect). However, over time, the distribution of judgments changed radically: When JOLs were made immed iately, subjects typically used the middle of the scale; after a delay more than 50% of judgments were made using the ends of the scale (Dun losky & Nelson, 1994, Experiment I). We replicated the delayed-JOL eff ect and found a similar rating shift. Is the delayed-JOL effect an art ifact produced by this shift, or does it reflect true metamemory impro vement? Monte Carlo simulations allowed us to separate these effects. Shifting judgments to ends of the scale did inflate JOL accuracy somew hat. The bulk of the delayed-JOL effect, however, resulted from increa ses in calibration. We conclude that the delayed-JOL effect reflects t rue metamemory improvement.