So you think you can read? Generalized metacomprehension in younger and older adults

ABSTRACT

This study explored whether age differences in task-specific metacomprehension accuracy are partly explained by age differences in generalized metacomprehension (GM) or the use of GM as a task-specific judgment anchor. GM was measured before and after a summarization and metacomprehension judgment task and then correlated with prediction judgment magnitude to assess anchoring, and correlated with comprehension and task-specific metacomprehension accuracy to assess GM accuracy. Age differences in these relationships were then tested. GM was related to judgment magnitude but despite age differences in GM ratings, age did not moderate anchoring or GM accuracy. Age differences in task-specific metacomprehension accuracy do not seem to be explained by age differences in GM accuracy or its use as a judgment anchor. However, results are the first to show that older adults anchor task-specific metacomprehension judgments on their GM, providing unique evidence for the Anchoring and Adjustment Model of Metacomprehension in advanced age.

KEYWORDS:

• Metacomprehension
• metacognitive accuracy
• comprehension
• anchoring and adjustment
• reading

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Jason Chan, Kevin Pan, and Raine Hayes for help with data collection and Christopher Hertzog and Erin Madison for feedback on initial drafts.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Aging under the Ruth L. Kirschstein Training Grant (NIA T32 AG00175); an APA American Psychological Association, Dissertation Award; and the APF/CogDop William C. Howell Scholarship, American Psychological Foundation [CogDop; William C. Howell Scholarship];