The cognitive mechanisms underlying the positive reactivity effect to recognition memory

Recently, a large number of studies have found that requiring learners to make learning judgments (JOLs) while learning can reactively change an individual's memory of the learned content, known as the reactivity effect. In pure list vocabulary learning tasks, doing JOL can improve vocabulary recognition memory and exhibit the positive reactivity effect. This study designs four studies to compare the cognitive mechanisms of the positive reactivity effect of vocabulary recognition memory (learning engagement enhancement theory vs. strategy change theory). Experiment 1 explores whether positive reactivity effects have transferability using the paradigm of interlacing JOL; Experiments 2-4 used different paradigms (decentralized learning paradigm, generative effect paradigm, and time-saving paradigm) to regulate different dimensions of learning engagement. The results indicate that (1) the positive reactivity effect induced by JOL is not transferable, and (2) changing learning engagement can regulate the positive reactivity effect. The above results provide experimental evidence that the theory of learning engagement enhancement may be a cognitive mechanism underlying the positive reactive effect of vocabulary recognition memory.