Why Investigate Metacognition ?

Why should researchers of cognition investigate metacognition? This chapter constitutes one answer to that question. Metacognition is simultaneously a topic of interest in its own right and a bridge between areas, e.g., between decisiorl making and Inemory, between learning and motivation, and between learning and cognitive development. Although the focus of this chapter is on the metacognitive aspects of learning and memory -which throughout the chapter will be called metammoryboth the overall approach and many of the points apply as well to other aspects of cognition. Emphasis is placed on some shortcomings in previous research on memory that have been commented on by several prominent investigators. It is to those investigators' credit that they stepped back from their specific investigations to take stock of the overall progress in the field and to highlight problems. We believe those problems can be solved, with research on metacognition playing a major role in that solution.