When is Metacognition Helpful, Debilitating, or Benign?

Abstract

Psychologists in many fields are interested in metacognition because it focuses attention on how people monitor and control their own thinking. Cognitive psychologists often analyze the bases and accuracy of metacognition in memory whereas educational psychologists study the role of metacognition as instrumental in self-regulated learning in academic domains. The structural and functional perspectives on metacognition are contrasted. I suggest that a functional analysis of metacognition; should be anchored in a theory, should be sensitive to changes due to development and learning, should identify context and motivating conditions, should be interpreted relative to sociocultural practices of the local community, and should examine the potential consequences of specific metacognitions. Attention to these five factors may allow researchers to identify the circumstances that make metacognitions useful, harmful, or innocuous for the person.