Letter Spacing Does not Affect Memory and Metamemory.

Some perceptual manipulations, such as font size or bolding, can affect the estimations of future memorability (i.e., judgments of learning or JOLs). In two experiments, we studied the effect on JOLs of another perceptual manipulation: the interletter spacing. Spacing may decrease JOLs via beliefs on the effect of spacing on memory, or it may increase JOLs via feelings of processing fluency. In Experiment 1, we found that people do not hold any particular belief on the effect of spacing on memory for a list of words. In Experiment 2, we found that letter spacing did not affect JOLs. We also replicated the results that participants believe that words in large font size will be better remembered and that they rate words in large font size with higher JOLs. In sum, this research showed that not all the perceptual characteristics are used as cues to metamemory.

Monitoring and control processes in mock witnesses in under-represented non-WEIRD samples with high or low educational level.

A popular model proposes that metamemory is based on two processes, monitoring and control. The first examines memories and evaluates their quality and the second uses that information to decide on the most appropriate course of action. Monitoring and control processes have been studied mostly with university students, which raises the question of how well do they work in groups of people from under-represented samples such as people with a low educational level. In this research, we tested the monitoring and control processes of three groups of participants from a non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) country (Colombia). Two groups of adults (aged 30-55 years) living in urban or rural areas and with a low educational level and a group of Colombian university students watched a bank robbery video and answered cued recall questions. To measure monitoring ability, participants rated their confidence that they had produced the correct answer, and to measure control they indicated whether they preferred to report or withhold the response were they in a trial. Results showed that the three groups had a functional ability to monitor their memories and control their behaviour, and that university students had better memory and metamemory than the two low education groups. The results support the concept that the basic metamemory processes of monitoring and control are functional in different groups of individuals, but the differences between groups highlight the need to test the generalizability of cognitive processes and phenomena across individuals.