The forward effect of judgements of learning on memory and transfer in inductive learning

Making judgments of learning (JOLs) can directly affect learning outcomes. The present study investigated whether providing JOLs during inductive learning tasks improves learning of new material (forward effect), and whether feedback moderates these effects. Participants learned the painting styles of different artists (Experiment 1) or different rock types (Experiment 2) across two study phases separated by an interim learning task, and then completed a transfer posttest (classifying new exemplars) and memory posttest (classifying previously-studied exemplars). In Experiment 1, the interim learning tasks of overt retrieval and cue-only JOLs (based on the painting without the artist’s name) improved future inductive learning compared to restudy, whereas cue–target JOLs (painting and artist name shown) did not. Cue-only JOLs also produced response-time patterns consistent with retrieval-based processing, and self-reported retrieval use predicted their forward benefit. Experiment 2 replicated the beneficial forward effect of cue-only JOLs over restudy with different materials and found that providing item-by-item feedback did not change the effect. Our results suggest that cue-only JOLs, but not cue–target JOLs, enhance future inductive learning of natural visual categories, likely through metacognitively controlled, covert retrieval processes.