Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?

Previous studies have shown that the prospect of a resit opportunity lowers hypothetical study-time investments for a first exam, as compared to a single-chance exam (i.e., the resit effect). The present paper describes a first experiment in which we aimed to generalize this effect from hypothetical...

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Main Authors: Rob Nijenkamp, Mark R. Nieuwenstein, Ritske de Jong, Monicque M. Lorist
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Ubiquity Press 2022-01-01
Series:Journal of Cognition
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.journalofcognition.org/articles/196
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author Rob Nijenkamp
Mark R. Nieuwenstein
Ritske de Jong
Monicque M. Lorist
author_facet Rob Nijenkamp
Mark R. Nieuwenstein
Ritske de Jong
Monicque M. Lorist
author_sort Rob Nijenkamp
collection DOAJ
description Previous studies have shown that the prospect of a resit opportunity lowers hypothetical study-time investments for a first exam, as compared to a single-chance exam (i.e., the resit effect). The present paper describes a first experiment in which we aimed to generalize this effect from hypothetical study-time investments to a learning task allowing for the optimization of actual study-time investments while participants studied pairs of pseudowords for a subsequent multiple-choice test, given either a single chance or two chances to pass. Against our expectations, the results of the experiment showed no resit effect for the amount of actual time participants spent studying the materials in the experimental learning task. To better allow for the optimization of study-time investments, the learning task was adapted for a second experiment to include an indication of passing probability. These results, however, also did not show a resit effect. A third experiment addressed whether it was the investment of actual time that led to this absence of a resit effect with the learning task. The results suggested, however, that it was most likely the lack of a priori deliberation that caused this absence of the effect. Taken together with findings from a fourth questionnaire study showing that students seem to take a resit prospect into account by indicating they would have studied more for an exam if the option to resit would not have been available, these findings lead us to argue that a resit prospect may primarily affect advance study-time allocation decisions.
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spelling doaj.art-694cd8258ca3490daceb2785524f44ca2022-12-21T17:24:39ZengUbiquity PressJournal of Cognition2514-48202022-01-015110.5334/joc.196215Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?Rob Nijenkamp0Mark R. Nieuwenstein1Ritske de Jong2Monicque M. Lorist3Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen; Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, GroningenDepartment of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen; Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, GroningenDepartment of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen; Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, GroningenDepartment of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen; Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen; Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, GroningenPrevious studies have shown that the prospect of a resit opportunity lowers hypothetical study-time investments for a first exam, as compared to a single-chance exam (i.e., the resit effect). The present paper describes a first experiment in which we aimed to generalize this effect from hypothetical study-time investments to a learning task allowing for the optimization of actual study-time investments while participants studied pairs of pseudowords for a subsequent multiple-choice test, given either a single chance or two chances to pass. Against our expectations, the results of the experiment showed no resit effect for the amount of actual time participants spent studying the materials in the experimental learning task. To better allow for the optimization of study-time investments, the learning task was adapted for a second experiment to include an indication of passing probability. These results, however, also did not show a resit effect. A third experiment addressed whether it was the investment of actual time that led to this absence of a resit effect with the learning task. The results suggested, however, that it was most likely the lack of a priori deliberation that caused this absence of the effect. Taken together with findings from a fourth questionnaire study showing that students seem to take a resit prospect into account by indicating they would have studied more for an exam if the option to resit would not have been available, these findings lead us to argue that a resit prospect may primarily affect advance study-time allocation decisions.https://www.journalofcognition.org/articles/196resit examsstudy-time allocationadvance study-time planninglearningexam taking
spellingShingle Rob Nijenkamp
Mark R. Nieuwenstein
Ritske de Jong
Monicque M. Lorist
Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?
Journal of Cognition
resit exams
study-time allocation
advance study-time planning
learning
exam taking
title Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?
title_full Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?
title_fullStr Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?
title_full_unstemmed Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?
title_short Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?
title_sort second chances in learning does a resit prospect lower study time investments on a first test
topic resit exams
study-time allocation
advance study-time planning
learning
exam taking
url https://www.journalofcognition.org/articles/196
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