Metacognition — literally "thinking about thinking" — encompasses the knowledge people have about their own cognitive processes and the ability to monitor and regulate those processes. John Flavell introduced the concept in the 1970s, and it has since become central to understanding self-regulated learning, memory monitoring, problem solving, and cognitive development. Metacognition is what allows you to realize you do not understand a passage, to judge whether you have studied enough for an exam, or to adjust your strategy when your current approach is failing.
Components
Metacognition involves two main components. Metacognitive knowledge includes knowledge about one's own cognitive strengths and weaknesses, knowledge about task demands, and knowledge about effective strategies. Metacognitive regulation includes planning (choosing strategies before beginning a task), monitoring (assessing progress during the task), and evaluating (assessing outcomes after the task). These components work together to enable adaptive, self-directed cognition.
Metamemory
Metamemory — metacognition about memory — has been extensively studied. Judgments of learning (JOLs) estimate how well material has been learned. Feeling-of-knowing (FOK) judgments estimate the likelihood of recognizing currently unretrievable information. Confidence judgments assess certainty about retrieved answers. Research shows that these metacognitive judgments are moderately accurate but subject to systematic biases: for example, fluency of processing (how easily material is read) inflates JOLs without necessarily increasing actual learning.
Metacognitive skills are among the strongest predictors of academic success. Students who accurately monitor their learning, select appropriate strategies, and adjust their study behavior based on self-assessment perform better than students with equivalent ability but weaker metacognition. Teaching metacognitive strategies — self-testing, self-explanation, monitoring comprehension, and strategic planning — is one of the most effective educational interventions, producing large and durable improvements in learning outcomes.