Cognition vs. Metacognition
It is often difficult to distinguish the difference between cognition and metacognition. They are closely related and can often overlap. Flavell described an example such as "Asking yourself questions about the chapter might function either to improve your knowledge (a cognitive function) or to monitor it (a metacognitive function)." This quote shows how different, yet similar these two concepts can be.
Metacognition is a subdivision of cognition, or a type of cognition. Metacogition is defined as the scientific study of an individual's cognitions about his or her own cognitions.
Cognition is a mental process that include memory, attention, producing and understanding language, reasoning, learning, problem-solving and decision making. It is often referred to as information processing, applying knowledge, and changing preferences.
Cognition is a mental process that include memory, attention, producing and understanding language, reasoning, learning, problem-solving and decision making. It is often referred to as information processing, applying knowledge, and changing preferences.
Metacognitive Knowledge is subdivided into 3 categories:
1) Knowledge of Person variables - acquired knowledge and beliefs that concern what human beings are like as cognitive organisms
- Intraindividual - knowledge or belief about intraindividual variation in one's own or someone else's interests
- Interindividual - compare between other people rather than within yourself
- Universal - knowledge gained from maturation
2) Knowledge of Task variables - individual learnes something about how the nature of the information encountered affects and constraints how one should deal with it ( like how we get students to to use their metacognition to study for a test)
3) Knowledge of strategy variables - are cognitive strategies from getting here to there
- Cognitive strategy - designed to get the individual to some cognitive goal or subgoal
- Metacognitive strategy - used to monitor cognitive strategies
Metacognitive Knowledge of task and Strategy variables are what we are going to focus on, due to the nature of the current topic at hand.
Examples of Cognitive and Metacognitive Relationships:
1) Knowledge of Person variables - acquired knowledge and beliefs that concern what human beings are like as cognitive organisms
- Intraindividual - knowledge or belief about intraindividual variation in one's own or someone else's interests
- Interindividual - compare between other people rather than within yourself
- Universal - knowledge gained from maturation
2) Knowledge of Task variables - individual learnes something about how the nature of the information encountered affects and constraints how one should deal with it ( like how we get students to to use their metacognition to study for a test)
3) Knowledge of strategy variables - are cognitive strategies from getting here to there
- Cognitive strategy - designed to get the individual to some cognitive goal or subgoal
- Metacognitive strategy - used to monitor cognitive strategies
Metacognitive Knowledge of task and Strategy variables are what we are going to focus on, due to the nature of the current topic at hand.
Examples of Cognitive and Metacognitive Relationships:
Cognitive Task / Strategy
Ex: Knowledge of finding the sum of a set of numbers * Cognitive strategies are basically knowing how to reach a goal, such as how to add the numbers to find the sum. (like a study method). Ex: remembering things learned earlier that might help with a current task or problem |
Metacognitive Task / Strategy
Ex: Add the numbers up again * Metacognitive strategies are to make sure that the goal was reached successfully, such as double or triple checking the correct answer (like a confidence builder) Ex: monitoring and directing the processes of problem solving |
3 types of changes for a child to develop cognitive abilities
1) cognitive-developmental changes that lead directly to metacognitive acquisitions
2) changes that increase child's metacognitive readiness to profit from experiences that promote metacognitive development
3) imagine cognitive-developmental changes in child that increase child's opportunity to have experiences that could lead to metacognitive acquisitions
2 Changes in child development that could contribute to acquisition of metacognition
1) development of sense of self as an active cognitive agent and as causal center of one's own cognitive activity, which could therefore promote monitoring and regulating one's own cognition
2) increase in planfulness, where one interrelates past, present, and future actions and events. Therefore, being better capable of creating counscious and explicit representations of time.
* Of course, other direct and indirect practice in metacognitive activity can contribute to further metacognitive development. Parents and teachers can utilize metacognitive strategies and practice for developmental improvements in students
Metacognition may also be related to other concepts like:
Executive Processes, Formal operations, consciousness, social cognition, self-efficacy, self-regulation, reflective self awareness, psychological self