Individuals with High Metacognitive Ability Are Better at Divergent and Convergent Thinking.

Is metacognitive ability a predictor of creative performance? Previous studies have produced conflicting findings. To clarify whether this relationship exists, the current study used eye tracking techniques and vocal thinking reports to explore creativity differences in individuals with different levels of metacognitive ability. One hundred and twelve participants completed the Metacognitive Ability scale, and were divided into two groups (with thirty participants in each group) based on their metacognition scores (the highest and lowest 27% of metacognitive ability scores). Then, participants in both groups completed two creative thinking tasks (AUT and CCRAT) while their eye behaviors were recorded by eye tracking. The results showed that participants with high metacognitive ability were better at divergent thinking, as evidenced by greater fixation and saccade counts, as well as smaller saccade amplitudes in the AUT task. In addition, Bayesian analyses provide anecdotal evidence that participants with high metacognitive ability tended to be better at convergent thinking. Furthermore, eye tracking results demonstrated that they exhibited longer fixation duration and more fixation count on the materials in the CCRAT task. These findings reflect an important role of metacognition in creative thinking, especially in divergent thinking.

Retrieval-induced forgetting of spatial position depends on access to multiple shared features within categories.

Retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) is typically observed in verbal memory tasks, although a few studies have observed RIF in visual spatial tasks. This leaves an open question as to whether RIF depends on semantic identity to link across semantic properties of objects, or whether RIF depends on access to the perceptual features of objects. To explore RIF of spatial positions, we report three experiments utilizing a continuous measure of the accessibility and precision for objects that were distinguished by their shape, color, and spatial region. After a study phase, half of the objects in a single-color category were selectively practiced for their spatial position, by requiring the object to be placed in the exact spatial position seen previously. Finally, all objects were probed for their spatial position at test. No RIF occurred for objects that shared only one color feature but were located within the same spatial region (in Experiment 1) or when objects shared the same color, but were located within different spatial regions (in Experiment 3). However, RIF did occur when objects shared the same spatial region and the same color (Experiment 2). Overall, the interim recall of the spatial positions of cue-objects impairs access to the position of other cue-objects within the same color category, but only when these groups had sufficient overlapping and competing features. The finding that RIF only occurs to the accessibility of spatial positions, not the precision of visual spatial memory, was interpreted as consistent with inhibitory theories of forgetting.

Progressive retrieval practice leads to greater memory for image-word pairs than standard retrieval practice.

The benefits of retrieval practice on learning are robust and have transferred from laboratory findings to many real-world educational settings. We report two experiments that investigated a novel retrieval practice technique for remembering arbitrary associations (image-word pairs), with and without reward as a motivator. As well as typical retrieval practice and restudy conditions, we added a third condition of graded retrieval practice in which the image cue was partially released in a progressive process. Experiment 1 found significant benefits of retrieval practice over restudy, with an additional benefit of graded retrieval practice compared with standard retrieval practice after a 48-hour delay between study and retrieval. Experiment 2 included a reward manipulation by giving participants money based on their memory performance. The findings replicated the retrieval practice effects observed in Experiment 1, including a robust advantage for graded retrieval practice. Reward neither changed the additive advantage of graded recall nor the benefit of retrieval practice. The present study adds to the literature indicating that retrieval with progressive retrieval cues can boost the benefit of retrieval practice by generating repeated retrieval attempts. This benefit occurs most for items that are neither too easy nor too challenging to retrieve.

Self-protecting motivation, indexed by self-threat, modifies retrieval-induced-forgetting and confidence in employment decision bias against out-group targets.

Human memory is malleable by both social and motivational factors and holds information relevant to workplace decisions. Retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) describes a phenomenon where retrieval practice impairs subsequent memory for related (unpracticed) information. We report two RIF experiments. Chinese participants received a mild self-threat manipulation (Experiment 2) or not (Experiment 1) before an ethnicity-RIF task that involved practicing negative traits of either in-group (Chinese) or an out-group (Japanese) target. After a subsequent memory test, participants selected their preferred applicant for employment. RIF scores correspond to forgetting of unpracticed positive traits of one target (Rp-) relative to the recall of practiced negative traits of the other target (Rp+). Enhanced forgetting of positive traits was found in both experiments for both targets. Across experiments, a significant target by threat interaction showed that target ethnicity modified RIF (an ethnicity-RIF effect). Inducing a self-protecting motivation enhanced RIF effects for the out-group (Japanese) target. In a subsequent employment decision, there was a strong bias to select the in-group target, with the confidence in these decisions being associated with RIF scores. This study suggests that rehearsing negative traits of minority applicants can affect metacognitive aspects of employment decisions, possibly by shaping the schemas available to the majority (in-group) employer. To disrupt systemic racism, recruitment practices should aim to offset a human motivation to protect one-self, when exposed to a relatively mild threat to self-esteem. Discussing the negative traits of minority applicants is a critical, and sensitive, aspect of decision-making that warrants careful practice. These data suggest that recruiting individuals should be reminded of their personal strengths in this context, not their vulnerabilities, to secure their decision-making for fairer recruitment practice.