Effort ratings correlate negatively with judgments of learning (r = −0.355), but the correlation disappears under a goal-driven interpretation of effort¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2–q3 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 Across studies, learners' effort ratings correlate negatively with judgments of their learning during a learning task (r = −0.355), consistent with a data-driven easily-learned-easily-remembered heuristic. → Anique B. H. de Bruin 2023 q2 i? In the subset of studies where learners adopted a goal-driven interpretation of effort, no negative correlation between effort and learning was observed; this approach is less common than the data-driven approach. → Anique B. H. de Bruin 2023 (2)

Evidence¶

Anique B. H. de Bruin 2023¶

Anique B. H. de Bruin, Felicitas Biwer, Luotong Hui, Erdem Onan, Louise David, Wisnu Wiradhany. (2023). Worth the Effort: the Start and Stick to Desirable Difficulties (S2D2) Framework. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09766-w

q3 · i2 · review · r2

Meta-analytic synthesis reported in the review: the correlation was "weaker for prospective than for retrospective judgments, and stronger for problem-solving than for paired associates tasks."

"a recent meta-analysis (Baars et al., 2020) revealed that learners' effort ratings correlate negatively with judgments of their learning when engaging in a learning task (r = − 0.355)."

Anique B. H. de Bruin 2023 (2)¶

Anique B. H. de Bruin, Felicitas Biwer, Luotong Hui, Erdem Onan, Louise David, Wisnu Wiradhany. (2023). Worth the Effort: the Start and Stick to Desirable Difficulties (S2D2) Framework. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09766-w

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review reports this moderator from the same meta-analysis: under goal-driven interpretation, higher effort leads to higher perceived learning and more use of desirable difficulties; the article notes this approach is less common among learners.

"the subset of studies where learners adopted a goal-driven interpretation of effort showed no negative correlation between effort and learning."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• 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 — related
• Effort measurement type moderates the correlation: self-agency ratings show a positive association and subjective ratings a stronger negative one than objective measures — related
• In the multivariate meta-regression, goal-driven manipulation, judgment timing, and task type remain significant moderators — related
• Monitoring judgment timing moderates the correlation: concurrent judgments show a stronger negative association than prospective judgments — related
• Task type moderates the correlation: problem-solving tasks show a stronger negative association than word/paired-associate tasks — related
• Effort appraisals correlate negatively with monitoring judgments: high mental effort is associated with poorer performance judgments — related
• Publication bias analyses suggest the negative correlation is robust but trim-and-fill adjusts it to r = −.227 — related
• Perceived mental effort serves as a cue for monitoring judgments, which mediate the effort–outcome relation (David et al., 2024 meta-analysis) — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Mental effort and judgments of learning show a medium-sized negative correlation, moderated by regulation mode and task type — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Prior meta-analysis found a negative medium-sized effort–monitoring correlation (r = -0.35), attenuated under goal-driven manipulations — related
• Perceived mental effort is negatively associated with monitoring judgments (β = -0.19) in a meta-analytic structural equation model — related