Metacognition

Metacognition is the science of thinking about thinking. Why is this different to the science of cognition? This is because cognition is the process of thinking, metacognition encompasses not only the process such as cognitive biases and heuristics, but the factors that affect these processes. Key to understanding this is the fact that the brain likes to operate at a lower energy state.

One important factor in metacognition is understanding how the brain naturally prefers to operate at a lower energy state. The human brain tends to favor mental shortcuts, such as heuristics, because they require less cognitive effort and conserve energy. These shortcuts are efficient but can lead to errors in judgment or bias. Metacognition allows us to become aware of these shortcuts and biases, helping us to actively engage with our thinking processes to overcome potential flaws. For example, being aware of confirmation bias enables a person to challenge their own assumptions or seek out disconfirming evidence, something that pure cognition might not automatically prompt.

Thus, metacognition involves not just engaging in thinking but also evaluating and refining how we think, which is crucial for making more accurate decisions, solving complex problems, and enhancing learning. It allows for the self-regulation of thought, offering a way to step back from automatic cognitive functions and make more deliberate, energy-intensive, and conscious adjustments to how we process information. This reflective process is essential for improving critical thinking skills and overcoming the brain's tendency to default to lower-effort, potentially flawed cognitive strategies.