Metacognition And Cognitive Neuropsychology

Control processes are those mental functions that allow us to initiate, monitor, and prioritize mental activities. They are crucial to normal mental functioning. A better understanding of the nature of control processes and their deficits is important for clinical work and for an adequate theory of consciousness. Previously, control processes have been examined within the frameworks of two parallel but independent paradigms: those of cognitive psychology and of neuropsychology. Cognitive psychologists have stressed the theoretical and empirical nature of normal unimpaired control processes; neuropsychologists have focused on the relationships between damage to specific functional areas of the brain and deficits in specific control processes. Both have contributed extensively to our understanding of control processes. However, they have tended to operate independently, with little if any cross-talk between disciplines, despite the potential benefits such dialogue is likely to generate. This book represents the first attempt to synthesize cognitive and neuropsychological perspectives on control processes. It contains state-of-the-art reports on various aspects of control processes by experts from both disciplines.

Metacognition is the capacity to reflect upon and evaluate cognition and behaviour. Long of interest to philosophers and psychologists, metacognition has recently become the target of research in the cognitive neurosciences. By combining brain imaging, computational modeling, neuropsychology and insights from psychiatry, the present book offers a picture of the metacognitive functions of the brain. Chapters cover the definition and measurement of metacognition in humans and non-human animals, the computational underpinnings of metacognitive judgments the cognitive neuroscience of self-monitoring ranging from confidence to error-monitoring and neuropsychiatric studies of disorders of metacognition. This book provides an invaluable overview of a rapidly emerging and important field within cognitive neuroscience.

Metacognition is a term that spans many sub-areas in psychology and means different things to different people. A dominant view has been that metacognition involves the monitoring of performance in order to control cognition; however, it seems reasonable that much of this control runs implicitly (i.e., without awareness). Newer still is the field of implicit memory, and it has different connotations to different sub-groups as well. The editor of this volume takes it to mean that a prior experience affects behavior without the individual's appreciation (ability to report) of this influence. Implicit memory and metacognition seem to be at two opposite ends of the spectrum -- one seemingly conscious and control-oriented, the other occurring without subjects' awareness. Do these processes relate to each other in interesting ways, or do they operate independently without reference to each other? The relatively novel conjecture that much of the control of cognition operates at an implicit level sparked Reder's desire to explore the interrelationship between the two fields. Developed within the last two decades, both fields are very new and generate a great deal of excitement and research interest. Hundreds of articles have been written about metacognition and about implicit memory, but little if any material has been published about the two areas in combination. In other words, Metacognition and Implicit Memory is the first book attempting to integrate what should be closely linked efforts in the study of cognitive science.

Unique and stimulating, this book addresses metacognition in both the neglected area of teaching and the more well-established area of learning. It addresses domain-general and domain-specific aspects of metacognition, including applications to the particular subjects of reading, speaking, mathematics, and science. This collection spans theory, research and practice related to metacognition in education at all school levels, from elementary through university.

Metacognition - cognitive processes that apply to themselves - is becoming increasingly recognized as a fundamental aspect of human psychology. In this broad-ranging book, internationally renowned authors show how a full analysis of human reasoning and behaviour requires an understanding of both cognitive and metacognitive activities. Important insights from across social and cognitive psychology are drawn together to offer an unmatched overview of this major debate, and a number of key questions are addressed, including: Are metacognitive activities similar to standard cognitive processes, or do they represent a separate category? How do people reflect on their cognitive processes? Does our metacognitive knowledge affect our behavioural choices?

Metacognition is the first textbook to focus on people's extraordinary ability to evaluate and control their cognitive processes. This comprehensive text covers both theoretical and empirical metacognitive research in educational, developmental, cognitive and applied psychology. Authors John Dunlosky and Janet Metcalfe address many of the key questions that have inspired scientists to pursue research in this domain. To answer these and many other questions, the authors assess major theoretical themes and programmatic research in the field. The authors also include chapters that define the scope of metacognition and cover its historical origins. Not only do they describe well-received theories about the nature of metacognition, but they also highlight unresolved mysteries currently on the cutting-edge of research. Key Features Emphasizes the practical relevance of theory and research in metacognition to learning with the use of "Application" boxes Introduces students to important questions that have yet to be answered by the metacognitive research literature with the inclusion of "Mystery" boxes Provides three easy-to-conduct demonstrations (e.g., tip-of-the-tongue experience, delayed-judgment-of-learning effect, etc.) that students can try themselves Offers brief biographies that introduce students to some of the most influential leaders in metacognition Includes a general summary at the end of each chapte Intended Audience This text is an ideal resource for undergraduate cognitive psychology students. It also serves as comprehensive handbook for more advanced students and psychological scientists engaged in the study of metacognitive processes.

Trends and Prospects in Metacognition presents a collection of chapters dealing principally with independent areas of empirical Metacogition research. These research foci, such as animal metacognition, neuropsychology of metacognition, implicit learning, metacognitive experiences, metamemory, young children's Metacogition, theory of mind, metacognitive knowledge, decision making, and interventions for the enhancement of metacognition, have all emerged as trends in the field of metacognition. Yet, the resulting research has not converged, precluding an integration of concepts and findings. Presenting a new theoretical framework, Trends and Prospects in Metacognition extends the classical definitions offered by Flavell and Nelson to carry the prospect of more integrated work into the future. By opening the possibility to cross the boundaries posed by traditionally independent research areas, this volume provides a foundation for the integration of research paradigms and concepts and builds on the relationship between metacognition and consciousness, while integrating basic with applied research.