Reverse-correlation reveals internal error-corrections during information-seeking

In the area of metacognition research, different methods have been used to study participants’ subjective sense of confidence in their choices. Among the most often used methods are explicit reports of subjective confidence, post-decision wagering and measuring additional info-seeking behavior. While all three methods are thought to measure confidence, they differ greatly in terms of practical execution and theoretical foundation. The method of reverse correlation has previously been used to determine which aspects of the stimulus influence decisions and confidence judgments. Here we compare the three methods of confidence assessment using reverse correlation analysis. Explicit reports and post-decision wagering revealed a positive association of stimulus information with choices and reduced decision weights for low-confidence trials. When confidence was assessed using the info-seeking method, low-confidence trials showed an inverted association with primary stimulus information. Using modelling of the behavioral data, we show how the reverse correlation results of all three methods can be explained by a simple model of confidence when internal error-corrections are allowed during seeking of additional information.

The pivotal role of monitoring for collaborative problem solving seen in interaction, performance, and interpersonal physiology

Being aware of the progress towards one’s goals is considered one of the main characteristics of the self-regulation process. This is also the case for collaborative problem solving, which invites group members to metacognitively monitor the progress with their goals and externalize it in social interactions while solving a problem. Monitoring challenges can activate group members to control the situation together, which can be seen as adjustments on different systemic levels (physiological, psychological, and interpersonal) of a collaborative group. This study examines how the pivotal role of monitoring for collaborative problem solving is reflected in interactions, performance, and interpersonal physiology. The study has foci in two central characteristics of monitoring interactions that facilitate groups’ regulation in reaching their goals. First is valence of monitoring, indicating whether the group members think they are progressing towards their goal or not. Second is equality of participation in monitoring interactions between group members. Participants of the study were volunteering higher education students (N = 57), randomly assigned to groups of three members whose collaborative task was to learn to run a business simulation. The collaborative task was video recorded, and the physiological arousal of each participant was recorded from their electrodermal activity. The results of the study suggest that both the valence and equality of participation are identifiable in monitoring interactions and they both positively predict groups’ performance in the task. Equality of participation to monitoring was not related to the interpersonal physiology. However, valence of monitoring was related to interpersonal physiology in terms of physiological synchrony and arousal. The findings support the view that characteristics of monitoring interactions make a difference to task performance in collaborative problem solving and that interpersonal physiology relates to these characteristics.

Effects of self-scoring their math problem solutions on primary school students’ monitoring and regulation

Preparing students to become self-regulated learners has become an important goal of primary education. Therefore, it is important to investigate how we can improve self-monitoring and self-regulation accuracy in primary school students. Focusing on mathematics problems, we investigated whether and how (1) high- and low-performing students differed in their monitoring accuracy (i.e., extent to which students’ monitoring judgments match their actual performance) and regulation accuracy (i.e., extent to which students’ regulation judgments regarding the need for further instruction/practice match their actual need), (2) self-scoring improved students’ monitoring and regulation accuracy, (3) high- and low-performing students differed in their monitoring and regulation accuracy after self-scoring, and (4) students’ monitoring and regulation judgments are related. On two days, students of 9 − 10 years old from 34 classes solved multiplication and division problems and made monitoring and regulation judgments after each problem type. Next, they self-scored their answers and again made monitoring and regulation judgments. On the multiplication problems, high-performing students made more accurate monitoring and regulation judgments before and after self-scoring than low-performing students. On the division problems, high-performing students made more accurate monitoring judgments before self-scoring than low-performing students, but after self-scoring this difference was no longer present. Self-scoring improved students’ monitoring and regulation accuracy, except for low- and high-performing students’ regulation accuracy on division problems. Students’ monitoring and regulation judgments were related. Our findings suggest that self-scoring may be a suitable tool to foster primary school students’ monitoring accuracy and that this translates to some extent into more accurate regulation decisions.