McCurdy et al. (2020), Psychonomic Bulletin & Review — 126-article / 310-experiment meta: generation effect magnitude depends on "generation constraint" (how constrained the produced response is)

Claim: McCurdy et al. (2020), Psychonomic Bulletin & Review — meta-analysis of 126 articles, 310 experiments. Effect magnitude depends on "generation constraint" — how constrained the produced response is.

Source: McCurdy et al. (2020), Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.

Confidence: Verified (meta-analysis).

Why this matters for Candid: Settles the design dial — the more constrained the user's input (single-choice dropdown vs free-text), the smaller the generation benefit. Free-text inputs where appropriate beat dropdown selections on engagement; balance against form-friction (Practitioner claim: single-field forms ~30-40% conversion, seven-field forms ~5-15% — A/B observation, not controlled study from Brief A).