Editing Metacognition (section)

==Definitions==
{{Cognitive}}
This higher-level cognition was given the label metacognition by American developmental psychologist [[John H. Flavell]] (1976).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-04-19|title=What is Metacognition?|url=https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/metacognition/|access-date=2020-10-18|website=The Psychology Notes Headquarters|language=en-US}}</ref>

The term metacognition literally means 'above cognition', and is used to indicate cognition about cognition, or more informally, thinking about thinking. Flavell defined metacognition as knowledge about cognition and control of cognition. For example, a person is engaging in metacognition if they notice that they are having more trouble learning A than B, or if it strikes them that they should double-check C before accepting it as fact. J. H. Flavell (1976, p.&nbsp;232).  [[Andreas Demetriou]]'s theory (one of the [[neo-Piagetian theories of cognitive development]]) used the term hyper-cognition to refer to self-monitoring, self-representation, and self-regulation processes, which are regarded as integral components of the human mind.<ref>Demetriou, A., Efklides, A., & Platsidou, M. (1993). The architecture and dynamics of developing mind: Experiential structuralism as a frame for unifying cognitive developmental theories. ''Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 58'', Serial Number 234.
</ref> Moreover, with his colleagues, he showed that these processes participate in general [[intelligence]], together with processing efficiency and reasoning, which have traditionally been considered to compose [[fluid intelligence]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1 =Demetriou|first1 = A.|last2 = Kazi|first2 = S.|year = 2006|title = Self-awareness in g (with processing efficiency and reasoning)|journal=Intelligence|volume = 34|issue =3|pages = 297–317|doi=10.1016/j.intell.2005.10.002}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Shannon |first1=Nick |last2=Frischherz |first2=Bruno |title=Metathinking - The Art and Practice of Transformational Thinking |date=2020 |page=12 |publisher=Springer Cham |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-41064-3 |isbn=978-3-030-41064-3 |s2cid=242428640 |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-41064-3#about-book-content}}</ref>

Metacognition also involves thinking about one's own thinking process such as study skills, memory capabilities, and the ability to monitor learning.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} This concept needs to be explicitly taught along with content instruction.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tanner |first=Kimberly D. |date=2012 |title=Promoting Student Metacognition |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1187/cbe.12-03-0033 |journal=CBE: Life Sciences Education |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=113–120 |doi=10.1187/cbe.12-03-0033 |issn=1931-7913}}</ref> A pithy statement from M.D. Gall et al. is often cited in this respect: "Learning how to learn cannot be left to students. It must be taught."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gall |first=MD |title=Tools for Learning: A Guide to Teaching Study Skills |last2=Gall |first2=JP |last3=Jacobsen |first3=DR |last4=Bullock |first4=TL |publisher=Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development |year=1990 |location=Alexandria, VA}}</ref> 

Metacognition is a general term encompassing the study of memory-monitoring and self-regulation, meta-reasoning, [[consciousness]]/[[awareness]] and [[autonoetic consciousness]]/[[self-awareness]]. In practice these capacities are used to regulate one's own cognition, to maximize one's potential to think, [[learning|learn]] and to the evaluation of proper [[ethics|ethical]]/[[Morality|moral rules]]. It can also lead to a reduction in response time for a given situation as a result of heightened awareness, and potentially reduce the time to complete problems or tasks.

In the context of student metacognition, D. N. Perkins and [[Gavriel Salomon]] observe that metacognition concerns students' ability to monitor their progress. During this process, students ask questions like “What am I doing now?”, “Is it getting me anywhere?", and “What else could I be doing instead?”. Perkins and Salomon argue that such metacognitive practices help students to avoid unproductive approaches.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=PERKINS |first=DN |last2=SALOMON |first2=GAVRIEL |date=1989 |title=Are Cognitive Skills Context-Bound? |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0013189x018001016 |journal=Educational Researcher |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=16–25 |doi=10.3102/0013189x018001016 |issn=0013-189X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> 

In the domain of experimental psychology, an influential distinction in metacognition (proposed by T. O. Nelson & L. Narens) is between Monitoring—making judgments about the strength of one's memories—and Control—using those judgments to guide behavior (in particular, to guide study choices). Dunlosky, Serra, and Baker (2007) covered this distinction in a review of metamemory research that focused on how findings from this domain can be applied to other areas of applied research.

In the domain of [[cognitive neuroscience]], metacognitive monitoring and control has been viewed as a function of the [[prefrontal cortex]], which receives (monitors) sensory signals from other cortical regions and implements control using feedback loops (see chapters by Schwartz & Bacon and Shimamura, in Dunlosky & Bjork, 2008).<ref name="Dunlosky"/>

Metacognition is studied in the domain of [[artificial intelligence]] and [[Scientific modelling|modelling]].<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1016/j.artint.2005.10.009 | volume=169 | issue=2 | title=Metacognition in computation: A selected research review | journal=Artificial Intelligence | pages=104–141| year=2005 | last1=Cox | first1=Michael T. | doi-access=free }}</ref> Therefore, it is the domain of interest of emergent [[systemics]].