metacognition

[ met-uh-kog-nish-uhn ]

noun

, Psychology.

1. higher-order thinking that enables understanding, analysis, and control of one’s cognitive processes, especially when engaged in learning.

metacognition

/ ˌmɛtəkɒɡˈnɪʃən /

noun

1. psychol thinking about one's own mental processes

Other Words From

• met·a·cog·ni·tive [met-, uh, -, kog, -ni-tiv], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of metacognition¹

First recorded in 1975–80; meta- + cognition

Example Sentences

"Our study may be the first to demonstrate that a different kind of cognitive ability, known as metacognition and mentalizing, might be much more influenced by environment."

From Science Daily

Metacognition is important for developing learning strategies and is believed to be a predictor of an individual's successes in school and social achievements.

From Science Daily

The twins were asked to perform tasks related to metacognition.

From Science Daily

"Decades of extensive research utilizing the classical twin paradigm have consistently demonstrated the heritability of nearly all cognitive abilities so far investigated. Our findings emphasize that these shared family environmental factors, such as parental nurturing and the transmission of cultural values, likely play a significant role in shaping the mental state representations in metacognition and mentalizing."

From Science Daily

By contrast, metacognition looks at how well people understand and control their cognitive processes.

From Science Daily