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Related Concept Videos

Metacognition01:26

Metacognition

Metacognition is a conscious process where individuals are aware of their cognitive and executive processes, such as planning before solving a problem or self-monitoring during reading. For instance, a writer may need help with composing a piece. The situation involves a writer who is working on a piece of writing, but while doing so, they realize that something is missing. They notice that their characters lack depth or details. This realization occurs because the writer is reflecting on their...
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Reasoning is the action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way. It is integral to problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking. Reasoning can be inductive or deductive. Reasoning involves transforming information into conclusions, which is essential for problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking.
Inductive reasoning involves deriving generalizations from specific observations. This type of reasoning helps form beliefs about the world. For example,...
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The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...
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Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition01:24

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A revisionist approach to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development has brought new insights that challenge and reinterpret his established ideas. Piaget proposed that the formal operational stage, emerging in adolescence, represents the culmination of cognitive maturity. During this stage, individuals are said to develop abstract thinking, engage in systematic problem-solving, and show a form of egocentrism, believing others are as preoccupied with their behavior as they are themselves.
Inductive Reasoning00:59

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Inductive reasoning is a form of logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion. It is uncertain and operates in degrees to which the conclusions are credible. As such, inductive arguments can be weak or strong, rather than valid or invalid, and conclusions can be used to formulate testable, falsifiable hypotheses.
Inductive reasoning is common in descriptive science. A life scientist makes observations and records them. This data can be qualitative or...

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Metacognition and reasoning.

Logan Fletcher1, Peter Carruthers

  • 1Department of Philosophy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|April 12, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human meta-reasoning, or metacognition about thinking, is a learned skill. It uses existing cognitive mechanisms for self-management in reasoning and decision-making.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Human cognition involves meta-reasoning, the process of thinking about one's own reasoning and decision-making.
  • Understanding the cognitive architecture of meta-reasoning is crucial for explaining complex cognitive functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a cognitive architecture for human meta-reasoning.
  • To explain meta-reasoning as a learned skill rather than an innate module.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of cognitive architecture.
  • Review of existing literature on metacognition and self-management strategies.
  • Theoretical integration of diverse mechanisms for meta-reasoning.

Main Results:

  • Meta-reasoning is not a unitary cognitive module but a composite skill.
  • It is acquired through individual and cultural learning processes.
  • Existing cognitive mechanisms, originally evolved for other functions, are repurposed for meta-reasoning.

Conclusions:

  • Human meta-reasoning is a flexible, adaptive cognitive function.
  • It highlights the brain's capacity for repurposing neural mechanisms.
  • This perspective offers a novel framework for understanding self-awareness and cognitive control.