Metacognition in Psychology

Abstract

How has the concept of metacognition been used within basic and applied psychological research? We begin our answer by presenting a broad definition of metacognition, an historical overview of its development and its presence in research databases. To assess which function and facets are most frequently addressed within each of the sub-disciplines, we present results from separate literature searches. We then review how metacognition has been defined and empirically explored within selected sub-disciplines in terms of typical research questions, conceptual definitions, how the concept has been measured, and examples of interesting findings and implications. We identify similarities, inconsistencies, and disagreements across fields and point out areas for future research. Our overall conclusion is that it is useful to consider metacognition as a broad umbrella concept across different domains and across basic and applied research. Nonetheless, we recommend that researchers be more specific and explicit about their approach and assumptions whenever using metacognition in their research.

Psychosis and Psychotic-Like Symptoms Affect Cognitive Abilities but Not Motivation in a Foraging Task

“…A person using crutches may also be similarly motivated to catch the last bus but knows they cannot make it and hence is not running to the bus. This knowing of what one can achieve requires metacognition (Norman et al, 2019).…”

“…However, effort-related impairments are sensitive to the tasks in question (Horan et al, 2015;Reddy et al, 2015). Often tasks used in research or clinical practice do not control for cognitive abilities and metacognition, which is known to also be affected in these mental disorders (Moritz et al, 2015;Sun et al, 2017;Norman et al, 2019). Indeed, if a person is like student D, then it is metacognition, not effort spending, that is aberrant.…”

Why Metacognition Is Not Always Helpful

“…Thus, it has become a cross-disciplinary subject ( Koriat, 2002 , 2007 ). Also across these subdisciplines, the functional role of metacognition is widely agreed upon ( Norman et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Metacognition is a hot research topic. A vast number of scientific papers and books have addressed metacognition since the concept was first introduced in the 1970s ( Flavell and Wellman, 1977 ; Flavell, 1979 ), and a variety of methodological approaches have been developed and applied within different psychological subdisciplines ( Norman et al, 2019 ). Metacognition has also become an increasingly popular term in everyday language, and is frequently used in, for instance, educational settings ( Dimmitt and McCormick, 2012 ).…”

Effectiveness of a Metacognitive Shopping Intervention for Adults with Intellectual Disability Secondary to Down Syndrome

“…Metacognition is a complex cognitive process that is frequently referred to as "thinking about thinking" (Rhodes, 2019, p. 168). It involves the ability to be aware of, monitor, and control one's own performance (Norman et al, 2019). Impaired metacognition is associated with reduced independence and can lead to difficulty performing higher-level instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), such as meal preparation, financial management, community mobility, and shopping (Lamash, 2018).…”