Self-regulated use of retrieval practice: associations with individual differences in non-cognitive and cognitive factors

Bertilsson, Frida; Stenlund, Tova; Sundström, Anna; Jonsson, Bert · 2024 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1007/s10212-024-00845-2

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This study investigates the self-regulated use of retrieval practice, a learning strategy known to enhance memory and learning but rarely employed voluntarily by students. The research addresses the gap in understanding how individual differences in cognitive and non-cognitive factors influence students' optional use of practice testing. Specifically, the authors examined whether sex, working memory capacity, fluid intelligence, grit, need for cognition (NFC), conscientiousness, and openness predict the voluntary engagement in retrieval practice within classroom settings. The study utilized an ABAB design involving 146 upper-secondary school students in Sweden enrolled in mathematics and Swedish courses. Students completed online quizzes corresponding to course chapters. The design alternated between "non-optional" sections, where quizzes were administered in-class, and "optional" sections, where quizzes were available for voluntary use outside of class. Participants also completed assessments for cognitive abilities (fluid intelligence via Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices and working memory via the Operation Span Task) and non-cognitive traits (grit, NFC, conscientiousness, and openness via self-report scales). Statistical analyses included paired- and independent-samples t-tests to compare quiz usage across conditions and sexes, and hierarchical linear regression to identify predictors of optional quiz use. Results indicated that students completed significantly fewer quizzes during optional sections compared to non-optional sections in both mathematics and Swedish, confirming low voluntary engagement. Sex differences emerged in Swedish, where females completed significantly more optional quizzes than males; however, no significant sex difference was found for optional quizzes in mathematics. Regression analyses revealed that conscientiousness was the sole significant predictor of optional quiz use in mathematics, explaining 11% of the variance. In Swedish, sex, NFC, conscientiousness, and openness were significant predictors, collectively explaining 28% of the variance. Notably, higher NFC and conscientiousness were positively associated with quiz use, while openness was negatively associated. Cognitive factors, including fluid intelligence and working memory, did not significantly predict optional quiz use in either subject. The findings underscore that while retrieval practice is effective, its self-regulated use is limited and influenced by specific individual differences. The study highlights that non-cognitive factors, particularly personality traits like conscientiousness and need for cognition, along with sex, play a crucial role in determining whether students voluntarily engage in practice testing. These results suggest that educational interventions aiming to promote retrieval practice should consider these individual differences, potentially targeting students with lower conscientiousness or providing extrinsic motivation to bridge the gap between the strategy's efficacy and its voluntary adoption.

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed.

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-25; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• seat belt use