The relationship between executive functions, episodic feeling-of-knowing and confidence judgements

Abstract

Metamemory processes and executive control may be related, given that both are frontally mediated. However, previous behavioural research has been limited in identifying common processes driving this somewhat weak relationship partly because they mostly relied upon global executive measures and composite scores of executive function (EF). The present study investigated the relationship between specific EFs (task shifting, interference resolution), working memory capacity and feeling-of-knowing (FOK) and confidence judgements (CONF) in an episodic memory task. We found that, of the EFs, only task-switching performance was correlated with FOK accuracy and proposed a shared mechanism that may be at play in both task-switching and FOK judgements. We also demonstrated that interference resolution and episodic memory measures were related, suggesting strategic influences on memory retrieval. Finally, we found a strong consistency in the strength and accuracy of FOK and CONF judgements, possibly due to retrieval-based mechanisms in both types of judgements.

Keywords:

• Confidence (CONF)
• Executive functions
• Feeling-of-knowing (FOK)
• Metamemory
• Task-switching

We would like to thank Aslı Aktan Erciyes, Aysu Mutlutürk, Sibel Bilge Kançal, Eren Günseli and Ceren Günsoy for help in data collection and data organisation.

This research was supported by TUBA-GEBIP funds awarded to AB, TUBITAK post-doc grant awarded to AK and TUBA funds awarded to AIT.

We would like to thank Aslı Aktan Erciyes, Aysu Mutlutürk, Sibel Bilge Kançal, Eren Günseli and Ceren Günsoy for help in data collection and data organisation.

This research was supported by TUBA-GEBIP funds awarded to AB, TUBITAK post-doc grant awarded to AK and TUBA funds awarded to AIT.

Notes

¹ We thank an anonymous reviewer for suggesting this pattern.