Metacognition

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Metacognition is when someone thinks about their own thought processes. I realized that I do this a whole lot. I think about something, then I analyze how I think about it, and think about what led me to certain conclusions. Does anyone else do this a lot? Is this common for people on the autism spectrum?

Hello. I have been reading a book on executive functions and one of the executive functions is metacognition. I forget what their definition of it was though. But I know for me, I have difficulties in self-monitoring according to a psycho-educational assessment I just got done. Self-monitoring is part of the metacognition, which shows that I lack in this area. I am having a hard time understanding the meaning of self-monitoring though, so hopefully my book will fill in this gap in my mind.

So my answer for you: I don't do this a lot because I lack in this area. Maybe it's common, I'm not sure. I can tell you for sure that it is a weakness for me.

I have been interested in psychology all my life. However, I didn't even know that until I got a lot older. I was in my teens when I realized that I constantly analyse not just myself, but other people as well. To me, it sounds like you're a natural psychologist. You may not have a degree, but that doesn't mean that it's any less psychology.

So, yes, I do this too.

I guess that describes it well. Psychology isn't one of my interests, but it seems like my mind is trying to be a psychologist all the time and analyze everything. I think very logically, so I guess I'm trying to put a reason to everything.

I became interested in psychology at a very young age, interested in how my own mind plus minds in general work (or are supposed to work). I feel that this was partly driven by my growing awareness of my own opinion that I was broken and needed to fix myself.

So, yes, I've spent a lot of time analysing my own processes. On the other hand sometimes I can be quite the opposite, and be unaware of certain aspects of myself. I think I have a "spiky profile" on this kind of thing: in some ways I can be super-analytical about my own processes, and in other ways I'm oblivious of certain things.

Developing one's ability to think about one's own mental processes offers a method to improve executive function - as long as one doesn't become obsessed with it, I suppose!

For instance if you know that you are very distractible, perhaps you can practice a mantra about focusing on the task at hand.

I often think about how world-class athletes must have been coached in mental processes, from visualizing themselves winning, to focusing on a goal. It would be great if we could all get coached!