Two experiments are reported that compared incentive motivation for studying, based on a weekly quiz in a course, to a metacognitive strategy for studying, based on identifying key terms, and providing definitions and elaborations as homework. In the first experiment, with a sample of 109 students enrolled in an educational psychology class, the study spanned a five-week period, and a control group was also included. On the achievement test at the end of the time period, students having the test as an incentive outscored the homework group by over 10 points and the control group by over 15. In the second experiment, with a sample of 117 students from the same populations, enrolled in the same course, the study spanned a 15-week period, and students were subdivided for statistical purposes into high, medium, and low groups on prior grade point average (GPA). The results showed that the advantages of the test incentive condition over three achievement tests accrued primarily to students of low GPA. The results were interpreted to indicate that college students may already have acquired metacognitive strategies suitable for studying text, but are less likely to use them unless sufficiently motivated. Two figures and two tables present study data. (Author)