Perceptual Fluency Affects Judgments of Learning Non-analytically and Analytically Through Beliefs About How Perceptual Fluency Affects Memory

Abstract

Perceptual fluency is generally thought to affect judgments of learning (JOLs) non-analytically. However, some studies suggested that perceptual fluency may also affect JOLs analytically based on beliefs about the relationship between perceptual fluency and memory performance. The present study aimed to investigate how perceptual fluency affects JOLs. In Experiment 1, participants performed a continuous identification task and a JOLs task to determine whether perceptual fluency affects JOLs. In Experiment 2, we manipulated participants' beliefs about how perceptual fluency affects memory to explore whether perceptual fluency affects JOLs through belief-based analysis. In Experiment 3, we explored whether participants who believed neither perceptual fluency nor font size affected memory performance still offered higher JOLs to large words than to small words, to explore whether perceptual fluency affects JOLs non-analytically. In Experiment 4, participants performed a continuous identification-JOLs task, and then they performed an observation task to measure their beliefs about fluency and memory. The results of the four experiments suggested that perceptual fluency affects JOLs both non-analytically and analytically based on beliefs about the relationship between perceptual fluency and memory performance.

Keywords: beliefs; font size effect; judgments of learning; metacognition; metamemory; perceptual fluency.

Figure 1

JOLs and recall for large and small words in Experiment 1. Error bar represents ±1 standard error. ^∗∗∗p < 0.001.

Figure 2

JOLs for large and small words of participants in different belief groups in Experiment 2. Error bar represents ±1 standard error. ^∗∗∗p < 0.001.

Figure 3

JOLs and recall for large and small words of qualified participants in Experiment 3. Error bar represents ±1 standard error. ^∗∗p < 0.01.

Figure 4

JOLs and recall for large and small words in Experiment 4. Error bar represents ±1 standard error. ^∗∗∗p < 0.001.

Figure 5

The mechanism of font size effect. Previous studies suggested that there are two main mechanisms for the font size effect (as shown in A). One is belief theory, which believes that people make JOLs analytically through beliefs about font size and memory, and the other one is fluency theory, which believes that people make JOLs non-analytically through subjective feeling about fluency. But according to the results of this study, perceptual fluency can affect JOLs not only in a non-analytical way, but also an analytical way (as shown in B).