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. 2017 May;88(3):1015-1032.
doi: 10.1111/cdev.12644. Epub 2016 Oct 19.

Carving Metacognition at Its Joints: Protracted Development of Component Processes

Allison P O'Leary  1 , Vladimir M Sloutsky  1
Affiliations

Carving Metacognition at Its Joints: Protracted Development of Component Processes

Allison P O'Leary et al. Child Dev. 2017 May.

Abstract

Two experiments investigated the development of metacognitive monitoring and control, and conditions under which children engage these processes. In Experiment 1, 5-year-olds (N = 30) and 7-year-olds (N = 30), unlike adults (N = 30), showed little evidence of either monitoring or control. In Experiment 2, 5-year-olds (N = 90) were given performance feedback (aimed at improving monitoring), instruction to follow a particular strategy (aimed at improving control), or both. Across conditions, feedback improved children's monitoring, and instruction improved both monitoring and control. Thus, children's poor metacognitive performance likely reflects a difficulty engaging the component processes spontaneously rather than a lack of metacognitive ability. These findings also suggest that the component processes are distinct, with both undergoing protracted development.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The task sequence including choice opportunity, fixation, test stimulus, and response screen.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proportion of easy task choices by age group.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Proportion of adults’ easy task choices by block.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Composite task monitoring scores by age group.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Absolute performance monitoring scores by age group (lower scores indicate greater performance estimation).
Figure 6
Figure 6
The direction of performance estimations for each age group. Scores above zero indicate overestimation.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Proportions of 5-year-olds’ easy task choices in Experiments 1 and 2.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Participants’ task monitoring scores in Experiments 1 and 2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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