When do we know that we do not know?

What is it about?

This paper examines how people judge how well a piece of information is represented in their working memory (= memory system that holds information briefly available for further processing). We found that people do not have immediate insights into their memory. Instead, they engage in retrieval attempts and conclude how accurately information is represented in their memory based on their outcome.

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Photo by Tachina Lee on Unsplash

Photo by Tachina Lee on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Our findings provide insights into how people monitor their memory content. These insights, in turn, can uncover why people make certain decisions when preparing for a test (e.g., which items they focus on) or even taking a test (how long they spend on a test question).