Effects of leading questions and feedback on metamemory in eyewitness memory

This study investigated how emotional content, question type, and feedback influence retrospective metamemory decisions and prospective judgments in the context of eyewitness memory. A total of 109 participants viewed emotionally negative and neutral videos, answered leading and non-leading memory questions, and received feedback on both correct and incorrect responses. We assessed memory performance alongside retrospective decisions (Yes/No) and prospective judgments, specifically judgments of learning (JOLs) and feelings of knowing (FOKs). Results showed that participants recalled significantly fewer details from negative videos than from neutral ones, and that leading questions further reduced recall performance. JOLs and metamemory decisions were significantly lower for negative stimuli; FOKs showed a similar pattern but were not statistically significant. Confirmatory feedback increased JOLs and metamemory decisions, while disconfirmatory feedback decreased them, especially for negative events. These findings demonstrate that emotional intensity, question framing, and post-retrieval feedback influence both memory accuracy and metacognitive evaluations in eyewitness contexts.