Self-evaluation on the ability to retrieve Kanji words: a comparison between an aphasiac and normal subjects

Abstract

The present study investigated the accuracy of an aphasiac's self-evaluation on his ability to retrieve words. The aphasiac and six normal subjects were shown a list of words and that of drawings. The words were written in Kanji and the drawings could be translated into the Kanji words. For each word, the subjects rated the likelihood that they could write it, and for each drawing, they rated the likelihood that they could translate it into the Kanji word. A week later, they were asked to translate drawings into Kanji words, and the performance and self-ratings were compared. Although the aphasiac could write far less Kanji words than the normals, his self-rating was as high as the normals. It was suggested that metamnemonic judgments are based on the indirect inferential processes, not on the direct access to the memory-traces. In other words, the aphasiac might raise his rating scores when Kanji words or drawings seemed easy to understand.