Remembered Utility and Students' Everyday Affective Experiences: Does the Peak-End Heuristic Hold?

• In Event: Emotions, Learning Outcomes, and Learning Processes: Intersections and Understandings

Abstract

This study drew on remembered utility research from cognitive psychology to explore how students interpret and evaluate their affective experiences in class. Data were collected from 121 undergraduates using surveys and the experience sampling method. Students’ ratings of their momentary enjoyment and boredom were used to predict their remembered affective experiences of enjoyment and boredom for the course. Students’ ratings of remembered enjoyment and boredom at the end of the course were best predicted by their average momentary enjoyment and boredom during class, compared to their peak, final and peak-end ratings of enjoyment and boredom. Results suggest that students’ affective experiences during class influence how they remember the course, but in a way that may differ from previous experimental findings.

Authors

• Kimberly Marie Alberts, Michigan State University

• Jennifer A. Schmidt, Michigan State University