SIG 16 - Metacognition

SIG 16 is interested in all issues related to "metacognition". Flavell (1979) first used the term metacognition to refer to the knowledge about and regulation of one's cognitive activities. Since then, the term metacognition has been used to refer to multiple phenomena, for example metacognitive beliefs, metacognitive awareness, metacognitive experiences, metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive skills, and self-regulation. Most of these conceptualizations have in common that they assume that "meta" refers to higher-order cognition about cognition. A huge amount of empirical research has demonstrated that metacognition is one of the most powerful predictors of learning. However, many unresolved issues remain: More theoretical work is needed to attain a unified definition and taxonomy of metacognition and all its components. This also includes more research about the interplay between cognition, metacognition, and other learner characteristics such as intellectual ability. Further controversial issues need to be resolved: For example, does metacognition need to be conscious or can it also become automated? And is metacognition always domain-specific or are there also more general forms of metacognition? How exactly does metacognition develop from the first theory-of-mind precursors? These open questions make it hard to devise optimal methods for fostering metacognition. And potential answers are further complicated by the use of different assessment methods of metacognition. SIG 16 provides a forum for the discussion of all these - and other - issues related to metacognition.