Mental effort and judgments of learning show a medium-sized negative correlation, moderated by regulation mode and task type¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · theoretical r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2020 · checked against its sources 2026-10-22 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? A meta-analysis finds a medium-sized negative correlation between mental effort and judgments of learning, which approaches zero/the positive range as learners engage more in goal-driven regulation. → de Bruin 2020 q3 i? The negative correlation between mental effort and judgments of learning is stronger for problem-solving tasks than for reading or word learning tasks. → de Bruin 2020 (2)

Evidence¶

de Bruin 2020¶

de Bruin, A. B. H., Roelle, J., Carpenter, S. K., & Baars, M. (2020). Synthesizing Cognitive Load and Self-regulation Theory: a Theoretical Framework and Research Agenda. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09576-4

q3 · i? · theoretical · r3

The editorial summarizes the meta-analysis by Baars et al. (this issue) on the relation between mental effort and judgments of learning, reporting a "medium-sized negative correlation"; no correlation coefficient value is printed in the editorial.

"Their findings indicate that overall, there is a medium-sized negative correlation between mental effort and judgments of learning and that several factors moderate this relationship."

de Bruin 2020 (2)¶

de Bruin, A. B. H., Roelle, J., Carpenter, S. K., & Baars, M. (2020). Synthesizing Cognitive Load and Self-regulation Theory: a Theoretical Framework and Research Agenda. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09576-4

q3 · i? · theoretical · r3

Moderator finding from the same meta-analysis as summarized in the editorial: task type moderates the effort-JOL correlation, with the negative correlation stronger for problem-solving than for reading or word learning tasks. No coefficient is printed.

"The negative correlation was found to be stronger for problem-solving tasks than for reading or word learning tasks."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Effort appraisals correlate negatively with monitoring judgments: high mental effort is associated with poorer performance judgments — a broader claim this one bears on
• Effort measurement type moderates the correlation: self-agency ratings show a positive association and subjective ratings a stronger negative one than objective measures — related
• Effort ratings correlate negatively with judgments of learning (r = −0.355), but the correlation disappears under a goal-driven interpretation of effort — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Effort and monitoring judgments show a medium negative correlation (r = −.355) during learning — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Goal-driven manipulations weaken the negative effort–monitoring correlation, which is nonsignificant under incentives, time pressure or self-agency ratings taken singly — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• In the multivariate meta-regression, goal-driven manipulation, judgment timing, and task type remain significant moderators — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Perceived mental effort serves as a cue for monitoring judgments, which mediate the effort–outcome relation (David et al., 2024 meta-analysis) — related
• Task type moderates the correlation: problem-solving tasks show a stronger negative association than word/paired-associate tasks — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Prior meta-analysis found a negative medium-sized effort–monitoring correlation (r = -0.35), attenuated under goal-driven manipulations — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Perceived mental effort is negatively associated with monitoring judgments (β = -0.19) in a meta-analytic structural equation model — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• No moderator (education, effort measurement, wording, timing, task type, difficulty) significantly changed the model's paths