meta-cognition
Awareness of thought
Meta-cognition is thinking about thinking—awareness of your own mental processes.
It includes monitoring how well you understand something, recognizing when a strategy isn't working, and adjusting your approach: Her meta-cognition kicked in when she realized she'd been reading the same paragraph three times without absorbing it.
The concept is central to education and psychology, where developing meta-cognitive skills helps learners become more effective.
Also spelled metacognition.
Observing one's own mind
- self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche
- thought patternsHabitual cognitive pathways
- mental processesBrain's internal operations
- self-reflectionExamining one's own mind
mindfulness · consciousness · rumination · self-monitoring · attention · executive function · working memory · mental effort
Theory of knowledge
- self-knowledgeUnderstanding of oneself
- Socratic methodTeaching by strategic questioning
- examined lifeLife of deliberate introspection
- phenomenologyStudy of subjective experience
intentionality · reflection · contemplation · wisdom · epistemic humility · doubt · certainty · Descartes
Methods for delivering instruction
- think-aloudsSpoken cognitive processes
- modelingSimulating or demonstrating form
- classroom practicesTechniques used when teaching
- formative assessmentOngoing measure of student grasp
goal setting · planning · monitoring · evaluation · Zimmerman · graphic organizers · rubrics · checklists
Methods for effective learning
- self-assessmentEvaluating your own performance
- learning stylesSupposed individual absorption methods
- exam preparationReadying for assessment
- understandingMental comprehension of something
retention · recall · elaboration · summarization · note-taking · spaced repetition · retrieval practice · feedback
Speaking to oneself mentally
- inner criticHarsh internal self-judgment
- reframingChanging interpretive context
- mental healthEmotional and cognitive well-being
- anxiety managementControlling excessive worry
depression treatment · journaling · emotional regulation · coping strategies · psychoeducation · acceptance · defusion
introspection
Observing one's own mind
- self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche
- thought patternsHabitual cognitive pathways
- mental processesBrain's internal operations
self-reflection · mindfulness · consciousness · rumination · self-monitoring · attention · executive function · working memory · mental effort · inhibition
epistemology
Theory of knowledge
- self-knowledgeUnderstanding of oneself
- Socratic methodTeaching by strategic questioning
- examined lifeLife of deliberate introspection
phenomenology · intentionality · reflection · contemplation · wisdom · epistemic humility · doubt · certainty · Descartes · regress
teaching strategies
Methods for delivering instruction
- think-aloudsSpoken cognitive processes
- modelingSimulating or demonstrating form
- classroom practicesTechniques used when teaching
formative assessment · goal setting · planning · monitoring · evaluation · Zimmerman · graphic organizers · rubrics · checklists · peer feedback
study strategies
Methods for effective learning
- self-assessmentEvaluating your own performance
- learning stylesSupposed individual absorption methods
- exam preparationReadying for assessment
understanding · retention · recall · elaboration · summarization · note-taking · spaced repetition · retrieval practice · feedback · improvement
self-talk
Speaking to oneself mentally
- inner criticHarsh internal self-judgment
- reframingChanging interpretive context
- mental healthEmotional and cognitive well-being
anxiety management · depression treatment · journaling · emotional regulation · coping strategies · psychoeducation · acceptance · defusion
meta-cognitionmindlessness
Lack of awareness
obliviousness · unconscious thought · unreflectiveness · thoughtlessness
recognize, cognitive, incognito, cognition, cognizant, precognition