The development of metacognitive ability in adolescence

TLDR

Metacognition is the ability to reflect on one’s own thoughts and behaviors. The study examined how the link between task performance and confidence develops during adolescence. A visual task separating objective performance from metacognitive ability was administered to 56 participants aged 11–41. Metacognitive ability increased with age during adolescence, peaked in late adolescence, and plateaued into adulthood, indicating a prolonged developmental trajectory.

Abstract

Introspection, or metacognition, is the capacity to reflect on our own thoughts and behaviours. Here, we investigated how one specific metacognitive ability (the relationship between task performance and confidence) develops in adolescence, a period of life associated with the emergence of self-concept and enhanced self-awareness. We employed a task that dissociates objective performance on a visual task from metacognitive ability in a group of 56 participants aged between 11 and 41 years. Metacognitive ability improved significantly with age during adolescence, was highest in late adolescence and plateaued going into adulthood. Our results suggest that awareness of one's own perceptual decisions shows a prolonged developmental trajectory during adolescence.