Editing Metacognition (section)

=== Social metacognition and the self concept ===
An example of the interaction between social metacognition and [[self-concept]] can be found in examining implicit theories about the self. Implicit theories can cover a wide range of constructs about how the self operates, but two are especially relevant here; entity theory and incrementalist theory.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Dweck|first1=Carol S.|last2=Chiu|first2=Chi-yue|last3=Hong|first3=Ying-yi|date=October 1995|title=Implicit Theories and Their Role in Judgments and Reactions: A Word From Two Perspectives|journal=Psychological Inquiry|volume=6|issue=4|pages=267–285|doi=10.1207/s15327965pli0604_1|issn=1047-840X|hdl=10722/44536|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Entity theory proposes that an individual's self-attributes and abilities are fixed and stable, while incrementalist theory proposes that these same constructs can be changed through effort and experience. Entity theorists are susceptible to learned helplessness because they may feel that circumstances are outside their control (i.e. there's nothing that could have been done to make things better), thus they may give up easily. Incremental theorists react differently when faced with failure: they desire to master challenges, and therefore adopt a mastery-oriented pattern. They immediately began to consider various ways that they could approach the task differently, and they increase their efforts. Cultural beliefs can act on this as well. For example, a person who has accepted a cultural belief that memory loss is an unavoidable consequence of old age may avoid cognitively demanding tasks as they age, thus accelerating cognitive decline.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Levy|first1=B.|last2=Langer|first2=E.|date=June 1994|title=Aging free from negative stereotypes: successful memory in China and among the American deaf|journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology|volume=66|issue=6|pages=989–997|issn=0022-3514|pmid=8046582|doi=10.1037/0022-3514.66.6.989}}</ref> Similarly, a woman who is aware of the stereotype that purports that women are not good at mathematics may perform worse on tests of mathematical ability or avoid mathematics altogether.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Steele|first1=Jennifer R.|last2=Ambady|first2=Nalini|date=July 2006|title="Math is Hard!" The effect of gender priming on women's attitudes|journal=Journal of Experimental Social Psychology|volume=42|issue=4|pages=428–436|doi=10.1016/j.jesp.2005.06.003|issn=0022-1031}}</ref> These examples demonstrate that the metacognitive beliefs people hold about the self - which may be socially or culturally transmitted - can have important effects on persistence, performance, and motivation.