Metacognitive Processes at Encoding

Abstract

Researchers aiming to explain the episodic memory deficit in Alzheimer’s disease have occasionally adopted a metacognitive framework to examine the role of memory monitoring as a possible contributory factor. In this chapter we briefly review the results of research into metacognition in Alzheimer’s disease — with particular focus on item repetition. Here we consider what the study of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can contribute to our understanding of the bases on which metacognitive judgements are made. In particular, we concentrate on the cue utilisation approach (Koriat, 1997), describing work that suggests a dissociation between the mnemonic bases of metamemory control and metamemory monitoring during encoding. We present novel empirical data that examines the nature of metamemory monitoring at encoding for repeated items using a Judgement of Learning procedure (JOL). We find that a) in an AD group we can dissociate metamemory monitoring and control for repeatedly presented items and b) there is evidence that the ability to make JOLs that are sensitive to repetition of items is related to the awareness of repetition.