2025/09/29 by Julian Matthews, Narumi Sugihara, Sofia Nagisa +2 · 1 voice
Neuroscience · Computer Science · #Memory Processes and Influences #Intelligent Tutoring Systems and Adaptive Learning #Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s44271-025-00321-7
Task decisions and confidence ratings are fundamental measures in metacognition research, but using these reports requires collecting them in some order. Only three orders exist and are used in an ad hoc manner across studies. Evidence suggests that when task decisions precede confidence, this report order can enhance metacognition. If verified, this effect pervades studies of metacognition and will lead the synthesis of this literature to invalid conclusions. In this Registered Report, we tested the effect of report order across popular domains of metacognition and probed two factors that may underlie why order effects have been observed in past studies: report time and motor preparation. We examined these effects in a perception experiment (n = 75) and memory experiment (n = 50), controlling task accuracy and learning. Our registered analyses found little effect of report order on metacognitive efficiency, even when timing and motor preparation were experimentally controlled. Our findings suggest the order of task decisions and confidence ratings has little effect on metacognition, and need not constrain secondary analysis or experimental design. Decisions and confidence ratings are crucial to metacognition research. A concern is whether the order in which first and second order ratings are collected may affect results. This Registered Report finds order has little effect on metacognitive efficiency.