We have always understood the ability we have to reason, over our own consciousness and have control over our thoughts and learning processes.
It is understanding the way in which we receive, process and apply knowledge to always obtain better answers or results. But all this that is exactly what it implies?, is summarized in being metacognition.
Understanding and knowing it works as a tool to improve our intellectual abilities and optimize them as individuals. In the following article we will know what it is, the types, its main features and functions.
What is metacognition?
Metacognition is defined by the dictionary of key terms of theCervantes Virtual Center, as the ability to reflect people on their own thoughts and the way they learn. It is regarded as a high level of awareness and voluntary control.
It even allows the individual to plan according to cognitive activities, control of the process and evaluation of results. This trend appeared under study for psychology at the end of the seventies, in the twentieth century.
In the words of John Flavell he coined that “metacognition develops in the human being because it is a living being that thinks and is susceptible to making mistakes when it thinks, it needs some kind of mechanism that allows it to regulate these errors.”
Characteristics of metacognition
The factors that denote metacognition are indispensable for its greater understanding and control. Below we will mention and substantiate its main characteristics.
It is known as theory of mind
It is usually related to this theory, since both push us to enable the ability to anticipate and predict our own behaviors and even those of others through perception.
Even so, the difference is that in this theory the focus is on knowledge in the infant stage about the mind and its functioning.
Constitutes an innate ability to understand and predict
As we have previously mentioned, metacognition allows us the ability to manage our own resources, which is not developed but is considered innate.
Refers to cognitive processes
Metacognition focuses on the mental processes we carry out as efficient learners when studying, solving problems, and carrying out academic tasks.
In fact, in the research titled Metacognition: a way to learn to learn, the active participation of the subjects within these processes is addressed. It is considered as the property of information relevant to learning.
develops in infancy
Developing the habit of taking cognitive methodologies and strategies favors awareness and understanding of all processes, so implementing it from childhood is the key to its proper development and application.
In the research work on Metacognition in children , although it is posed as a challenge from the epistemological and teleological point of view, it is assumed through the intervention of strategies during the learning process and the implication it has in the creation of the willingness to become aware.
Only humans have it
Being a living and thinking being, it is attributed that metacognition only happens in humans. We are the ones who have presented so far the ability to exercise judgment and attribute our own thoughts, although we know that consciousness is usually present in some animals, only on very different levels.
Allows you to understand your own mind and that of others
As we have previously mentioned, metacognition is characterized mainly by being the ability to analyze and understand our own thoughts, processes, and ideologies.
Even also, we have the audacity to also impart it with what surrounds us. It is the amazing ability to understand that we understand and think that we think.
Its little development causes pathologies such as autism
The lack of development of metacognition and even of what is known as the Theory of Mind, limits its capabilities and its functioning.
This type of foundation is very important, allowing us to explain why we usually act as similar and why in pathological situations it works differently.
Functions of metacognition
Metacognition encompasses different possibilities within its area, which can be identified as functions, and then we will talk about it and its influences in the permanent search for human and cognitive development.
Control cognitive activity
It controls the process of cognitive tasks, the awareness of the process and the evaluation of the results obtained. It is applied with didactic tools for the development of the capacities that we have as thinking and conscious beings.
Raise awareness about the processes to execute activities
As we have previously mentioned, metacognition helps us to organize and standardize the process to carry out what we want. Whether they are the same learning processes, or processes of execution of activities in daily life.
Anticipate own and others’ behavior
The anticipation due to the recognition of our behaviors, is a capacity that metacognition has, which allows us to recognize and even plan reactions to certain behaviors, whether our own or others.
Improve intellectual activities for good performance
Metacognition allows the planning and form of mental representations to guide the execution of strategies. Awareness and self-regulations are those that have internal improvement for the execution of activities.
Determine the effectiveness of learning strategies
From the reasoning that we can develop and the processing of information, we recognize the advances and capacities that we have as thinking and skillful beings. In other words, the strategies and methodologies that we apply are self-assessed by understanding their effectiveness in the process.
Optimize thinking and problem solving
Based on problem solving, metacognition is a tool that is intrinsically related to the skill and mastery of our mind for the application of knowledge, based on the solution of adverse situations according to our own experience.
They require strategies, including their planning and implementation, and a developed consciousness is involved.
Types of metacognition
Metacognition has different modalities that allow it to be classified into four main types. They will be described below.
Meta memories
Meta memory is a term that refers to the degree of knowledge and awareness of the individual about memory and everything that has seemed relevant to him during the experience and has been recorded, stored and used as information.
In this way, more assertive, active and conscious learning is obtained based on the metamemory of metacognition, recognizing the control variables and producing improvements in memory tasks.
Goal Attention
It is one that allows the functioning of even the variables that affect and control attention. We understand them to avoid getting distracted, control our ability to concentrate, etc.
Studies based on this variable focus mainly on the knowledge that individuals have about their own attention capacities and what elements alter it, whether internal or external variables and how to control them.
Meta understanding
The meta comprehension emphasizes the ability to understand, the comprehension of readings and the memorization of influential aspects. It can occur during the explanation of a class, so the development of this component is essential for the proper functioning of our captious senses, listening or reading.
goal thinking
Lochhead said: “We should teach students how to think, because instead we tend to teach what to think.”
This type of metacognition focuses on what we have mentioned as the ability to think that you are thinking. Many times we do find ourselves thinking about our own thoughts, and although it seems like a play on words, it is a fact.
This cognitive activity places us in metacognition and the reasoning behind it is the reason for research in the area of psychology.
Importance of metacognition
Awareness, control and autopoiesisare tools that with this element of metacognition we can develop based on our growth and improvement. It allows us to process experience and therefore the use of our abilities with greater significance.
Based on learning, metacognition allows us to obtain abilities and reasoning abilities greater than what we present. Thanks to it we can manage our own instruction, facing concepts and consider which styles are more advantageous for us related to our ability to assimilate and process.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.