A strategic mindset: An orientation toward strategic behavior during goal pursuit.

Many attractive jobs in today's world require people to take on new challenges and figure out how to master them. As with any challenging goal, this involves systematic strategy use. Here we ask: Why are some people more likely to take a strategic stance toward their goals, and can this tendency be cultivated? To address these questions, we introduce the idea of a domain-general "strategic mindset." This mindset involves asking oneself strategy-eliciting questions, such as "What can I do to help myself?", "How else can I do this?", or "Is there a way to do this even better?", in the face of challenges or insufficient progress. In three studies (n = 864), people who scored higher on (or were primed with) a strategic mindset reported using more metacognitive strategies; in turn, they obtained higher college grade point averages (GPAs) (Study 1); reported greater progress toward their professional, educational, health, and fitness goals (Study 2); and responded to a challenging timed laboratory task by practicing it more and performing it faster (Study 3). We differentiated a strategic mindset from general self-efficacy, self-control, grit, and growth mindsets and showed that it explained unique variance in people's use of metacognitive strategies. These findings suggest that being strategic entails more than just having specific metacognitive skills-it appears to also entail an orientation toward seeking and employing them.

Cognición en la esquizofrenia. Estado actual de la cuestión (I): métodos de evaluación y correlatos neurales / Cognition in schizophrenia. State of the art (I): assessment methods and neural correlates

La investigación sugiere que los síntomas, la neurocognición y la cognición social se influyen mutuamente y se relacionan, a su vez, con el funcionamiento psicosocial en la esquizofrenia. La medida de los déficits neurocognitivos se ha desarrollado notablemente con el protocolo “MATRICS”. Estos déficits se han relacionado con un funcionamiento anormal de la corteza prefrontal dorsolateral y con defectos en su conectividad con otras áreas cerebrales. Por otro lado, el deterioro de la cognición social se ha vinculado al llamado “cerebro social” y se ha relacionado con los síntomas y el funcionamiento psicosocial. La atención, memoria y función ejecutiva parecen alteradas en la esquizofrenia, relacionándose con un funcionamiento anormal de estructuras cerebrales y su conectividad entre ellas. Déficits en diferentes dominios de la cognición social, vinculados al llamado “cerebro social”, se apuntan como un posible marcador endofenotípico de la esquizofrenia. No obstante, problemas tanto metodológicos como conceptuales impiden asumir estas conclusiones como definitivas

Research suggests that symptoms, neurocognition and social cognition influence each other and are related to psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia. The measurement of neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia has been remarkably developed with the "MATRICS" protocol. In addition, these impairments have been linked to abnormal functioning of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and problems in its connectivity with other brain areas. On the other hand, deficits in social cognition have been linked to the so-called "social brain" and have been related to symptoms and psychosocial functioning. Attention, memory and executive function seem to be altered in schizophrenia, relating to abnormal functioning of brain structures and their connectivity between them. Impairments in different social cognitive domains, linked to the so-called "social brain", could be an endophenotypic marker of schizophrenia. However, possible methodological and conceptual issues prevent to take these conclusions as definitive

Cognición en la esquizofrenia. Estado actual de la cuestión (II): sesgos cognitivos, modelos explicativos y programas de intervención / Cognition in schizophrenia. State of the art (II): cognitive biases, explana-tory models, and intervention programs

La investigación sugiere que los síntomas, la neurocognición y la cognición social (CS) se influyen mutuamente y se relacionan a su vez con el funcionamiento psicosocial en la esquizofrenia. Tanto los déficits neurocognitivos como en CS podrían tener mayor responsabilidad que los síntomas clínicos sobre el funcionamiento social. Distintos sesgos de razonamiento cognitivo, como el “salto a conclusiones”, contribuyen a la formación y mantenimiento de los síntomas, y al funcionamiento en la vida real. La rehabilitación cognitiva ha mostrado cierta utilidad en la mejora de la cognición y del funcionamiento en las habilidades de la vida diaria de las personas con psicosis a través de sus posibles efectos sobre la neuroplasticidad cerebral. Diferentes programas, como el Entrenamiento Metacognitivo, aparecen como intervenciones prometedoras para mejorar los sesgos de razonamiento. La neurocognición, la CS y ciertos sesgos de razonamiento se interrelacionan para predecir el funcionamiento social en la esquizofrenia. Distintas intervenciones podrían mejorar estos procesos a través de sus efectos sobre la neuroplasticidad cerebral. No obstante, a pesar del creciente cuerpo de investigación, los resultados distan de ser concluyentes

Research suggests that symptoms, neurocognition and social cognition (SC) influence each other and are related to psychosocial functioning. Both neurocognitive (especially in verbal memory) and SC impairments could have greater responsibility than clinical symptoms on social functioning in schizophrenia. Different biases of cognitive reasoning, such as "jumping to conclusions", contribute both to the formation and main-tenance of symptoms and to the functioning in daily life. Cognitive rehabilitation has demonstrated its usefulness in improving cognition, symptoms, and daily life skills in people with psychosis through its effects on brain neuroplasticity. Different programs, such as Metacognitive Training (MCT), appear as promising interventions to improve the typical reasoning biases involved in psychotic disorders. Neurocognition, social cognition and certain reasoning biases interrelate to predict social functioning in schizophrenia. Different psychosocial interventions could improve these processes through their effects on brain neuroplasticity. However, despite the growing body of research, the results are far from being definitive

Validation of the French version of the « Meta-Cognition Questionnaire ¼ for adolescents (MCQ-Af): Evolution of metacognitive beliefs with age and their links with anxiety during adolescence.

INTRODUCTION: The Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire for Adolescents (MCQ-A) measures individual differences of metacognitive beliefs and monitoring thought to be involved in the onset and maintenance of psychological disorders, especially in those involving anxiety. This assessment tool has been employed in research and clinical settings involving French-speaking adolescents, but appropriate validation has yet to be conducted. This article aims to first validate the francophone version of the MCQ-Af using measures sensitive to the expression of anxiety, and secondly, to examine the influence of age and gender on metacognitive beliefs, anxiety and their links. METHOD: 214 adolescents (114 females) between 13 and 17 completed the MCQ-Af (French version) as well as the Revised-Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (R-CMAS), French version, to assess anxiety manifestations. Structural validity was examined with confirmatory factor analyses. Three models were compared to the higher order five factor model proposed in the original validation study. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were also performed. Student's t tests as well as simple and stepwise regressions were conducted to assess for age and gender. RESULTS: The five correlated factors retained in the original version of the MCQ were replicated, and confirmatory factor analyses yielded comparable fit indices for a covariate factor model, as well as for a bifactor model. The bifactor model was privileged for theoretical reasons. Analyses were performed on a shortened questionnaire of 27 items as 3 items (2, 12 and 14) had non-significant loadings in prior path analyses. Age and gender differences were found in specific sub-factors of the MCQ-Af; positive and negative metacognitive beliefs seem to increase with age; girls seem to score higher on the negative metacognitive beliefs and thought control dimensions. The study further reports specific links between anxiety manifestation and negative and positive metacognitive beliefs, as well as confidence in one's memory. A modest influence of age and gender on this link was also highlighted. CONCLUSION: The present research provides the first evidence that the MCQ-Af is a valid and reliable instrument to assess individual differences of metacognitive beliefs in French-speaking adolescents. Nevertheless, it highlights that caution should be taken in regards of 3 items in particular (items 2, 12 and 14). Furthermore, age and gender in assessed samples of adolescents might influence the scores of the different dimensions of the questionnaire.

The Dunning-Kruger effect in Emirati college students: evidence for generalizability across cultures

Past research reports higher levels of overconfidence for low performers compared to more proficient performers. This finding has been attributed to low performers' lack of insight into their cognitive processes, and it is referred as the Dunning-Kruger effect. This effect has been replicated across various tasks and domains. To date, however, there have been very limited explorations of the Dunning-Kruger effect in individuals from Non-Western, collectivist countries, where self-enhancing biases might be less prevalent. The aim of this study is to explore whether the Dunning-Kruger effect is also demonstrated among Arab, college students in the United Arab Emirates. Emirati, female college students completed a matrix reasoning task and subsequently assessed their own performance on it by estimating their raw score. The results replicated the Dunning-Kruger effect. Participants scoring in the lowest quartile significantly overestimated their performance and demonstrated levels of overconfidence significantly higher than that of more proficient peers. This study extends our understanding of overconfidence and the Dunning-Kruger effect to the Arab world. The results are discussed with reference to proposed underlying mechanisms

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Spanish validation of the Adolescent Self-Consciousness Questionnaire

Self-consciousness development takes place mainly in adolescence because the brain undergoes certain structural changes that facilitate abstract thinking and metacognition, thus favoring the development of identity. Despite the importance of self-consciousness for mental health, there are no specific measurement instruments for Spanish adolescents. The objective of this study was to explore the dimensions of self-consciousness among Spanish adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years and validate the Chinese Adolescent Self-Consciousness Questionnaire (ASC) in this population. A second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted in accordance with previous validations of the ASC, using R Studio and the Lavaan package, to test its adequacy in a Spanish sample. Internal consistency and temporal stability were also tested, and evidence of validity was found. The results showed a good fit to the model eliminating four items with poor fit indices, CFI = .90, TLI = .89, RMSEA = .078, 95% CI [.076, .080]. Higher self-consciousness was associated with greater self-esteem and lower depressive symptomatology. No significant gender differences were found. This study provides a valid measure to evaluate self-consciousness in Spanish adolescents. The relationship established between self-consciousness and anxiety and depression requires further study as self-consciousness is involved in the development and maintenance of adolescent psychopathology

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Metacognitive Deficits Predict Impaired Insight in Schizophrenia Across Symptom Profiles: A Latent Class Analysis.

The integrated model of insight in schizophrenia suggests that poor insight is the result of multiple factors which compromise persons' abilities to integrate streams of information into a personal awareness of psychiatric challenges, and make adaptive responses. This model hypothesizes that metacognitive deficits, or difficulties forming a complex and integrated understanding of the self and others, influence insight, regardless of other proximal causes including clinical profile. To explore this possibility, we performed a latent class analysis on 324 adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. This analysis produced 4 groups on the basis of assessment of insight and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive, negative, cognitive, and hostility symptoms. The resultant groups were characterized as: Good Insight/Low Symptoms (n = 71), Impaired Insight/High Negative Symptoms, (n = 43), Impaired Insight/High Positive Symptoms (n = 50) and Impaired Insight/Diffuse Symptoms (n = 160). When we compared metacognitive function as assessed with the Metacognition Assessment Scale - Abbreviated (MAS-A) across groups, we found that the good insight group had better overall metacognition as well as higher levels of self-reflectivity, awareness of the other and mastery as compared to all 3 groups with impaired insight. When controlling for total symptoms, all differences in metacognitive function between the good insight and the impaired insight groups remained significant. These results are consistent with the view that, independent of symptoms, impaired metacognition contributes to difficulties integrating information and hence impedes insight, or awareness of psychiatric challenges. Consistent with extant literature, results suggest that interventions focusing on metacognition as the target may lead to improved insight.

Cognitive style assessment among medical students: A step towards achieving meta-cognitive integration in medical education.

Background: Knowledge of cognition and its regulation are important meta-cognitive activities, which are crucial for enhancement of learning. Their explicit teaching is meaningful and necessary yet seldom undertaken systematically in medical education programmes. Methods: We aimed to identify the cognitive styles using the Alert Scale of Cognitive Style among our undergraduate students. Students were also sensitized about different cognitive styles, their implications in strategic learning and the importance of meta-cognitive approach in education. Feedback from students was obtained to understand their awareness, perspectives and relevance of meta-cognitive concepts. Results: The intervention enhanced awareness of students about their own cognitive style and its implications to learning processes. The middle brain cognitive style was the most common (51.2%), followed by the right and the left brain cognitive styles (29.5% and 19.4%, respectively). A significant shift from the left towards the middle or the right cognitive style was observed in clinical years. No significant association was observed between a cognitive style and various variables such as age, gender and handedness. Conclusion: Incorporation of meta-cognitive learning practices in medical education offers a basis for enhancing classroom teaching, thereby making it learner-centric. The study helped students in identifying the way they process information and in identifying their preferred methods of assimilating knowledge. Identification of cognitive diversity is a primary pedagogic act for improving competence in learning. Meta-cognitive skills can be harnessed to bring about consonance of the left, right and middle brain cognitive styles to achieve better learning outcomes.

The Metacognitive Anger Processing (MAP) Scale: Preliminary Testing.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have explored the metacognitive components of anger, and at present there is no metacognitive framework on anger incorporating both positive and negative beliefs about anger and distinct maladaptive processing routines, such as rumination. AIMS: The aim of the present preliminary studies was to apply a metacognitive framework to anger and put forward a new anger self-report scale, the Metacognitive Anger Processing (MAP) scale, intended as a supplement to existing measures of anger disposition and to enhance anger treatment targets. METHOD: The new measure was tested in a nonclinical and a clinical sample together with measures of anger and metacognition to establish factor structure, reliability, concurrent, and convergent validity. RESULTS: The MAP showed a reliable factor structure with three factors - Positive Beliefs about anger, Negative Beliefs about anger, and Rumination; good internal reliability, and test-retest reliability. The subscales showed positive correlations with anger and the pattern of correlation with the general metacognitive measure supported the idea that the MAP represents dimensions of metacognition as it relates to anger. CONCLUSIONS: The present data indicate that positive as well as negative beliefs are involved in the tendency to ruminate about angry emotions. Clinical interventions may benefit from an exploration of the patient´s experience of anger, as structured by the MAP's factors and their interrelationships. The psychometric properties of the MAP should be further investigated in clinical samples using larger test batteries and objective measures of aggression.