Research Interests

My program of research aims at understanding the processes that regulate learning and memory.

I explore these questions by examining the cognitive and metacognitive processes underlying memory encoding, memory retrieval, and self regulated learning.

Publications

Wahlheim, C. N., Finn, B. & Jacoby, L. L. (in press). Multiple bases for category learning judgments:  Effects of repetition and family size. Memory & Cognition.

Metcalfe, J. & Finn, B. (in press).  Children’s correction of high confidence errors. Learning and Instruction.

Roediger, H.L., Finn, B. & Weinstein, Y. (in press).  Improving metacognition to enhance educational practice. To appear in Della Sala & Anderson (Eds.), Neuroscience in Education: Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Son, L., Kornell, N., Finn, B. & Cantlon, J. (in press).  Metacognition and the social animal.  To appear in Briñol & DeMarree (Eds.), Social Metacognition.  Frontiers of Social Psychology:  New York, Psychology Press.

Finn, B. & Roediger, H.L. (2011).  Enhancing retention through reconsolidation:  Negative emotional arousal following retrieval enhances later recall. Psychological Science, 22, 781-786.

Metcalfe, J. & Finn B.  (2011).  People’s correction of high confidence errors:  did they know it all along? Journal of Experimental Psychology:  Learning, Memory and Cognition, 37, 437-448.

Miele, D., Finn, B., Molden, D. (2011).  Does easily learned mean easily remembered? It depends on your beliefs about intelligence. Psychological Science, 22, 320-324.

Schwartz, B., Son, L.K., Kornell, N. & Finn, B. (2011).  Four principles of memory: A guide to improving learning efficiency. International Journal of Creativity and Problem Solving, 21, 7-15.

Finn, B. (2010). Ending on a high note: Adding a better end to difficult study. Journal of Experimental Psychology:  Learning, Memory and Cognition, 36, 1548-1553.

Finn, B., & Metcalfe, J. (2010).  Scaffolding feedback to maximize long-term error correction. Memory & Cognition, 38, 951-961.

Metcalfe, J., Kornell, N. & Finn, B. (2009).  Delayed versus immediate feedback in children's and adults' vocabulary learning.  Memory & Cognition, 37, 1077-1087.

Finn, B. (2008).  Framing effects on metacognitive monitoring and control.  Memory & Cognition, 36, 813-821.

Finn, B., & Metcalfe, J. (2008). Judgments of learning are influenced by memory for past test. Journal of Memory and Language, 58, 19-34.

Metcalfe, J. & Finn, B. (2008a). Familiarity and retrieval processes in delayed judgments of learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 34, 1084-1097.

Metcalfe, J. & Finn, B. (2008b).  Evidence that judgments of learning are causally related to study choice. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 15, 174-179.

Finn, B. & Metcalfe, J. (2007). The role of memory for past test in the underconfidence with practice effect.  Journal of Experimental Psychology, Learning, Memory and Cognition, 33, 238-244.

Reviews and Commentary

Finn. B. (in press).  What is metacognition? (Review of the book The Taxonomy of Metacognition).  PsycCritiques.

Finn. B. & Weinstein, Y. (2010).  Eric Kandel and the new science of mind. (Review of the motion picture In Search of Memory, With the Neuroscientist Eric Kandel, Winner of the Nobel Prize).  PsycCritiques. Contemporary Psychology, 55.

Roediger, H.L. & Finn, B. (2010, March/April). The pluses of getting it wrong.  Scientific American Mind, 21, 38-41.

Roediger, H.L. & Finn, B. (2009, October 20). Getting it wrong:  Surprising tips on how to learn.  Scientific American Mind Matters.  Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=getting-it-wrong.

Manuscripts Under Review

Finn, B. & McDermott, K.B., Szpunar, K.K. & Wilkie, L. (2011).  Release from proactive interference in long-term memory: The role of retrieval.  Manuscript submitted for publication.

Finn, B. & Metcalfe, J. (2011). Incurable optimism:  Children’s multi-trial judgments of learning.  Manuscript submitted for publication.

Finn, B. & Roediger, H.L. (2011).  Reconsolidation from negative emotional pictures:  Is successful retrieval required?  Manuscript submitted for publication.

Nelson, S.M., Arnold, K.M., Gilmore, A.W., Najaar, L.M., Finn, B. & McDermott, K.B. (2012).  A neural signature of retrieval practice effects in parietal cortex.  Manuscript submitted for publication.

Metcalfe, J. & Finn, B. (2011). Metacognition and control of study choice in children. Manuscript submitted for publication.


Manuscripts in Preparation

Finn, B., Rosenzweig, E. Q. & Roediger, H.L. (2011). Which types of arousing stimuli produce enhancement following retrieval? Manuscript in preparation.

Weinstein, Y., Finn, B., Roediger, H.L., & McDermott, K.B. (2011). The effects of retention interval expectancy on study time allocation and performance.   Manuscript in preparation.


Selected Research in Progress

Finn, B. & Roediger, H.L. (2011).  Metacognitive sensitivity to retrieval effort.  Research in progress.

Thomas, R. C., Finn, B. & Jacoby, L.L. (2011). Metacognitive judgments at the category level predict test performance with educational concepts. Research in progress.