ABSTRACT
All verbal reports are not identical; rather, there are important differences among verbal reports based on the conditions under which they are collected. Ericsson and Simon’s (1984, 1993) classic work on verbalization proposes a typology to categorize verbal reports based on both the temporal frame in which they are collected and on the level of detail of reporting. As mentioned in the Introduction and in Chapter 1, concurrent reports are those collected as subjects verbalize while performing the task in question, whereas retrospective reports are collected when subjects verbalize some time after performing the task. However, there are additional dimensions used to categorize verbal reports, beyond those temporal distinctions. In addition to categorizing verbal reports in terms of temporal space, Ericsson and Simon also distinguish between reports that require subjects to verbalize their thoughts per se and those that require subjects to verbalize additional information, such as explanations and justifications. In previous SLA research (Bowles, 2008; Bowles & Leow, 2005), verbalizations of thoughts per se have been referred to as non-metalinguistic and those requiring verbalization of explanations and justifications have been referred to as metalinguistic. However, since the studies reported in this book contain both verbal and non-verbal tasks, the broader terms non-metacognitive and metacognitive will be used to describe them.
