Meditation focused on self-observation of the body impairs metacognitive efficiency

Impact of Pilates suspension with self-awareness on gait and metacognition in multiple sclerosis: Randomized, single-blinded and parallel-group trial

BACKGROUND

Exercise and self-awareness are popular in the management of people with MS (pwMS). The combination of these techniques for diminishing mental and cognitive imparements doesn't apply. Since the capacity to monitor one's mind and maintain balance and efficient mobility is fundamental for carrying out the daily affairs of pwMS, in this study we assess the effect of Pilates Suspension with Self-awareness on Gait and Metacognition of pwMS. We also evaluate whether metacognition is trainable and, if so, which component of self-awareness (mental and physical) would be instrumental in this improvement.

METHOD

Twenty-four female PwMS who scored 2-6.5 on the EDSS were homogeneously divided into two intervention groups [one received pilates suspension training (PST) with Benson relaxation (PSBR), and the other received PST with Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation (PSJR)] and one control group for 7 consecutive weeks. Relaxation training was used as a means to self-awareness. Due to the coronavirus pandemic around the world during the research process, baseline and postintervention tests and training sessions were held online. Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) and Metacognition Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), outcome measures were collected before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

Analysis of group data revealed significant improvement between baseline and intervention phases for Dynamic Gate Index (p = 0.002 for Benson relaxation and p = 0.001 for Jacobson's progressive muscle) and Metacognition Questionnaire-30 (p = 0.02 for Benson relaxation and p = 0.002 for Jacobson's progressive muscle).

CONCLUSIONS

With regard to multidimensional disorders of pwMS, a combined training protocol is recommended for pwMS.

The impact of feedback on metacognition: Enhancing in easy tasks, impeding in difficult ones

Metacognition refers to the ability to monitor and introspect upon cognitive performance. Abundant research suggests that individual metacognition is easily affected by feedback in daily life, but how feedback affects metacognition in perceptual decision-making remains unclear. Here we investigated how trial-by-trial feedback shapes perceptual metacognition in two experiments with either high (n = 82) or low difficulty (n = 90). Participants were randomly divided into a feedback group in which participants received trial-by-trial performance feedback or a no-feedback group. Results showed that, in the high-difficulty task, participants in the feedback group revealed inferior metacognitive performance than the no-feedback group, manifested as decreased metacognitive efficiency while controlling for performance sensitivity. In the low-difficulty task, however, participants in the feedback group had higher metacognitive efficiency than the no-feedback group. The distinct patterns of findings in the two experiments indicate that whether feedback promotes or impedes metacognition is adjusted by task difficulty.

Decision Making in Moral Judgment Context is Modulated by Individual Metacognition

Metacognition refers to the human capacity to access and monitor one's own mental states. Recent research suggests that this capacity expands to the social world, e.g., when individuals explicitly share their cognitive processes with others. Additionally, metacognition is also linked to cognitive flexibility, and the latter to ideologically radical behaviors. Indeed, the absence of control over one's own mental activity could be at the base of different phenomena linked to social cognition. We investigate the metacognitive capacity of individuals in relation to the radicality with which they make a moral choice (utilitarian vs. deontological). For this purpose, 76 participants were submitted to 24 hypothetical situations, with the aim of evaluating the consistency (i.e., the radicality) of their moral choices. Then, in an independent experimental session, we evaluated the participants' metacognitive efficiency. We managed to demonstrate that individual metacognition scores are correlated with the radicality of a moral choice. We discussed the impact and relevance of metacognition in ecological contexts, particularly where subjective evaluation of the environment involves individual choices with social consequences.

The Relationship between Dispositional Mindfulness and Relative Accuracy of Judgments of Learning: The Moderating Role of Test Anxiety

Research has demonstrated that metacognition accuracy is far from perfect. The accuracy of judgments of learning (JOLs) is of critical importance in self-regulated learning. To explore what factors constrain JOL accuracy, the current study focused on mindfulness, which is intimately related to metacognition and anxiety. A total of 203 undergraduates (198 valid samples) were recruited to determine the relationships among five dimensions of dispositional mindfulness, test anxiety, and relative accuracy of JOLs. Results revealed that the interaction term for acting with awareness and test anxiety significantly predicted JOL accuracy. Further analyses indicated that for individuals with high test anxiety, but not for those with low test anxiety, acting with awareness positively predicted JOL accuracy. Considering that dispositional mindfulness is modifiable, these results help to inspire researchers to further explore whether mindfulness training can be used as a remedy to improve JOL accuracy.

Consensus Goals in the Field of Visual Metacognition

Despite the tangible progress in psychological and cognitive sciences over the last several years, these disciplines still trail other more mature sciences in identifying the most important questions that need to be solved. Reaching such consensus could lead to greater synergy across different laboratories, faster progress, and increased focus on solving important problems rather than pursuing isolated, niche efforts. Here, 26 researchers from the field of visual metacognition reached consensus on four long-term and two medium-term common goals. We describe the process that we followed, the goals themselves, and our plans for accomplishing these goals. If this effort proves successful within the next few years, such consensus building around common goals could be adopted more widely in psychological science.

Short mindfulness-based intervention for psychological and academic outcomes among university students

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a short mindfulness intervention on anxiety, stress and depression symptoms, as well as on inhibition of dominant responses and academic performance among university students. Fifty volunteers (M(age) = 23.8; SD = 5.3) with high levels of depression, anxiety or stress were randomly allocated to a mindfulness practice group or an active control group (listening to stories). Students who underwent the mindfulness practice had decreased levels of anxiety, stress and depression compared to the control group. The mindfulness program also had a beneficial impact on the students' academic performance. There was no change in the ability to inhibit dominant responses to neutral stimuli (letters); however, we observed a change in responses to neutral faces. Further research perspectives and the clinical implications of the study are discussed.

Knowing Ourselves Together: The Cultural Origins of Metacognition

Metacognition - the ability to represent, monitor and control ongoing cognitive processes - helps us perform many tasks, both when acting alone and when working with others. While metacognition is adaptive, and found in other animals, we should not assume that all human forms of metacognition are gene-based adaptations. Instead, some forms may have a social origin, including the discrimination, interpretation, and broadcasting of metacognitive representations. There is evidence that each of these abilities depends on cultural learning and therefore that cultural selection might shape human metacognition. The cultural origins hypothesis is a plausible and testable alternative that directs us towards a substantial new programme of research.