Work

The superior memory effect of insightful learning: The role of associative novelty

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Previous research has confirmed the advantage of insightful learning in item memory, but its impact on associative memory, particularly the role of novelty, remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the role of novelty in insightful learning on associative memory and metamemory using a Chinese logogriph learning-testing paradigm. Participants were asked to judge whether the "Midi" word/character (the answer) matched the "Mimian" phrase (the problem) in both the high- and low-novelty conditions. Then they took immediate (2 min later) and delayed (24 h later) recognition tests to identify whether the "Mimian"-"Midi" (phrase-character) pairs were previously presented (old) or not (new), and assessed their retrospective confidences. Results showed that individuals had higher recognition rates for high- (vs. low-) novelty logogriphs, and higher retrospective confidence for recognized pairs. This research indicates that novelty enhances both associative memory and the confidence judgment of metamemory monitoring in insightful learning.

Source: Acta Psychologica

DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104901

Authors: Zhonglu Zhang, Yuye Si, Lan Wang, Kaiyun He

Institutions: Guangzhou University, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Language: English

Topic: Memory Processes and Influences

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,670

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China