Metacognition and Self-Regulation in the
Life Span
Aristotle University of
Course
Prerequisites:
Basic knowledge of the concept of metacognition,
of self-regulation, and of their neuropsychological
correlates
Course
Description:
The concept of metacognition refers to cognition of cognition. Metacognition is a model of cognition that is being informed by cognition through the monitoring function and informs cognition through the control function. It has three facets: (a) metacognitive experiences and (b) metacognitive knowledge, which are products of the monitoring function, and (c) metacognitive skills, which are expression of the control function. Metacognitive experiences comprise feelings, judgments / estimates, and online task-specific knowledge. Metacognitive knowledge comprises beliefs, ideas, or perceptions about goals, persons, tasks, and strategies, as well as theory of mind and epistemic knowledge. Metacognitive skills comprise deliberate monitoring, planning, regulation, and evaluation of cognitive processing and its outcome.
The functioning of metacognition is related to frontal lobe functioning and is affected by social, developmental, linguistic, and individual difference factors. However, the various facets of metacognition do not develop in the same rate and are not highly inter-correlated. This is due to the fact that different mechanisms underlie the formation and functioning of the three facets of metacognition. Metacognition is also highly involved in self-regulation. Self-regulation refers to action control and, specifically, to action that emanates from goals of the self. Self-regulation orchestrates cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and volitional processes. Self-regulation develops in childhood through children's interaction with significant others and continues its course in the life span.
This course will focus on the relations of the various facets of metacognition with self-regulation and the changes that occur along with age. Neuropsychological evidence on executive processes as well as on metamemory will be discussed to highlight the neural mechanism underlying metacognition and self-regulation. Specifically, the topics that will be discussed in five 2-hour-sessions of the course are the following:
1. Introduction. The conceptualization of metacognition and self-regulation; its history; facets of metacognition; measurement of metacognition.
2. Metacognitive experiences (ME). Developmental issues and neuropsychological evidence related to ME and, particularly, to feeling of knowing (FOK), feeling of familiarity (FOF), feeling of difficulty (FOD), feeling of confidence (FOC), feeling of satisfaction (FOS), estimate of effort (EOE), etc.
3. Metacognitive knowledge (MK). Developmental issues related to theory of mind along with neuropsychological evidence related to aspects of MK.
4. Metacognitive skills (MS). Developmental issues related to MS and neuropsychological evidence related to executive processes.
5. Self-regulation. Developmental issues regarding the role of
self and metacognition in the regulation
of behavior and action.
Reading List
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