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The temporal dynamics of metacognitive experiences track rational adaptations in task performance
Luc Vermeylen1,2, Senne Braem3, Ivan I Ivanchei3,4
1Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. vermeylenl@gmail.com.
Communications Psychology
|July 3, 2025
Summary
Human task performance involves metacognitive experiences like boredom and fatigue. These feelings help regulate cognitive processes and optimize task outcomes, offering insights into performance efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Subjective metacognitive experiences (e.g., boredom, effort, fatigue) accompany human task performance.
- These experiences are thought to be crucial for monitoring and regulating cognitive processes.
- However, their precise role and contribution to task performance remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal dynamics of metacognitive experiences during task performance.
- To explore the relationship between these experiences and underlying cognitive processes.
- To understand how metacognitive experiences contribute to optimizing task performance.
Main Methods:
- Employed a time-on-task design with a conflict task.
- Utilized a comprehensive analysis approach including behavioral, model-based, subjective, and neural measures.
- Collected data from 111 human participants.
Main Results:
- Identified temporal dynamics in cognitive processes during sustained task engagement.
- Demonstrated that changes in cognitive processes reflect a rational strategy for performance optimization.
- Found distinct metacognitive experiences correlate with specific aspects of this optimization endeavor.
Conclusions:
- Metacognitive experiences provide valuable insights into the efficiency of cognitive performance.
- These subjective states serve as adaptive tools for self-regulation during tasks.
- Understanding metacognitive experiences is key to comprehending cognitive control and performance optimization.
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