Comparing the Effects of AI and Traditional Answer Keys on Metacognitive Accuracy - Spring 2026 Scholarly Review Journal

Sep 2, 2026

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Spring 2026 scholarly review journal article examines how AI assistance versus traditional answer keys influence learners’ metacognitive accuracy. Traditional answer keys can improve objective performance and, when paired with self-reflection, support accurate self-evaluation. However, traditional keys also produce fluency-based illusions and do not fully mitigate the Dunning–Kruger pattern. In contrast, AI assistance improves objective performance but consistently erodes metacognitive accuracy, amplifies fluency illusions, eliminates Dunning–Kruger effects, and drives a processing shift toward automaticity rather than reflection.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Effects on Performance

Metacognitive Accuracy and Self Reflection

Cognitive Bias and Illusions

Fluency-Based Illusions

Dunning-Kruger Effect

Processing Shift

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SPRING 2026 | SCHOLARLY REVIEW JOURNAL
E-ISSN: 2996-8380
Published by Leadership & Innovation Lab | | --- | --- | |
SPRING 2026 | SCHOLARLY REVIEW JOURNAL
E-ISSN: 2996-8380
Published by Leadership & Innovation Lab | | --- | --- | |
SPRING 2026 | SCHOLARLY REVIEW JOURNAL
E-ISSN: 2996-8380
Published by Leadership & Innovation Lab | | --- | --- | |
SPRING 2026 | SCHOLARLY REVIEW JOURNAL
E-ISSN: 2996-8380
Published by Leadership & Innovation Lab | | --- | --- | |
SPRING 2026 | SCHOLARLY REVIEW JOURNAL
E-ISSN: 2996-8380
Published by Leadership & Innovation Lab | | --- | --- | |
SPRING 2026 | SCHOLARLY REVIEW JOURNAL
E-ISSN: 2996-8380
Published by Leadership & Innovation Lab | | --- | --- | |
SPRING 2026 | SCHOLARLY REVIEW JOURNAL
E-ISSN: 2996-8380
Published by Leadership & Innovation Lab | | --- | --- | |
SPRING 2026 | SCHOLARLY REVIEW JOURNAL
E-ISSN: 2996-8380
Published by Leadership & Innovation Lab | | --- | --- | |
SPRING 2026 | SCHOLARLY REVIEW JOURNAL
E-ISSN: 2996-8380
Published by Leadership & Innovation Lab | | --- | --- | | Dimensions | Traditional Answer Keys | AI Assistance | | --- | --- | --- | | Effect on
performance | Improves objective performance (Tomanek et al., 2017) | Improves objective performance (Fernandes et al., 2024) | | Fluency based illusions | Creates fluency-based illusions (Carpenter et al., 2013; Wang & Xing, 2019) | Amplifies fluency based illusions due to the depth and comprehensiveness of AI responses (Fernandes et al., 2024) | | Effects on | Can support accurate self reflection | Consistently erodes metacognitive accuracy. | | Metacognitive | when paired with self reflection | (Fernandes et al., 2024) | | Accuracy | prompts. (Tomanek et al., 2017) | | | Dunning Kruger Effect | Maintains the traditional DKE pattern: Low performers overestimate, and high | Eliminates the DKE effect, as all skill levels become equally overconfident | |
SPRING 2026 | SCHOLARLY REVIEW JOURNAL
E-ISSN: 2996-8380
Published by Leadership & Innovation Lab | | --- | --- | | | performers underestimate.
(Fernandes et al., 2024; Noushad et al., 2023) | (Fernandes et al., 2024) | | --- | --- | --- | | Processing Shift | Shorter answers naturally cause reflection.
(Tomanek et al., 2017) | Causes learners to shift from reflective to automatic processing.
(Fernandes et al., 2024) |

FAQs

How do traditional answer keys affect objective performance and self reflection?

Traditional answer keys improve objective performance and can support accurate self reflection when paired with self-reflection prompts.

What impact does AI assistance have on metacognitive accuracy compared with traditional keys?

AI assistance consistently erodes metacognitive accuracy, despite improving objective performance.

How do AI and traditional keys differ in fluency-based illusions and the Dunning–Kruger effect?

Traditional keys create fluency-based illusions and maintain the usual Dunning–Kruger pattern, while AI amplifies fluency-based illusions and eliminates the Dunning–Kruger effect by making overconfidence uniform across skill levels.

Sep 2, 2026

Upload by Tawan