Overconfidence produces underachievement: Inaccurate self evaluations undermine students’ learning and retention
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The pattern is consistent with well-documented illusions of competence, whereby fluent learning experiences can lead learners to overestimate their level of understanding.
“this pattern is consistent with well-documented illusions of competence, whereby learning experiences that feel fluent and well-supported can lead learners to overestimate their level of understanding”
From Socratic Mind: Impact of a Novel GenAI-Powered Formative Assessment Tool on Student Learning and Higher-Order Thinking (2026) · cites this paper as Dunlosky & Rawson, 2012
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- Authors
- Dunlosky, J., & Rawson, K. A.
- Affiliations
- Kent State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Dunlosky, John
- Venue
- Learning and Instruction
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-08
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 271-280
- ISSN
- 0959-4752 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2134929852
- Cited by
- 713
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 67 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 60 · 2023: 75 · 2022: 65 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 67 · 2019: 60 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 41 · 2015: 40 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 6.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Learning and Instruction (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- James S. McDonnell Foundation
- Kent State University
- Institute of Education Sciences
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods
- Social Sciences › Education › Student Assessment and Feedback
- Keywords
- overconfidence, self-evaluation accuracy, metacognition, student self-regulation, learning monitoring, retention, cued recall, individual differences, university students
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