Metamemory and Motivation

Abstract

The interrelationships among metamemory, intelligence, attributional beliefs, self-concept, and strategy use were investigated in 102 German and 91 American children. After pretest assessment, -children in the experimental conditions were trained to use a cluster-rehearsal strategy on a Sort Recall task. Posttraining assessments included tests of strategy maintenance, near-transfer, and task-related metamemorial knowledge. The two samples differed significantly on metamemorial, attributional, strategic, and performance variables. Causal modeling procedures showed that different causal models were required to explain relationships among the cognitive and personality/motivational variables in the two samples, with metamemory having the most consistent influence on strategy use.