How the Construct of Metacognition Has Contributed to Translational Research in Education, Mental Health, and Beyond

Abstract

Metacognition research dates back decades and remains a thriving field of scientific inquiry. From its inception, the construct was translational in nature, but only after years of research do we have the privilege of reflecting on the many basic and applied aspects of our knowledge about metacognition. Here, we discuss the metacognition literature from historical and translational-phase perspectives to support thinking about how to move this research from basic knowledge to real-world application. Translational metacognitive research in humans appears to be characterized by 2 traditions, 1 concerned with normative child development and its implications for educational settings, the other concerned with where metacognition goes awry in states of clinical psychological or neurological illness. The articles in this special issue represent these 2 subareas nicely, while at the same time explicitly calling for integrative research and unified definitions of metacognition. In addition to its valuable contributions to psychological science, this journal’s requirement that trainees be represented at all levels of the publication and editorial process has provided rich learning opportunities for trainees and their mentors, enhancing professional experience and establishing connections between metacognition researchers across the world. As all work represented in Translational Issues in Psychological Science (TPS) is written for a general audience, we hope the many intellectual and real-world fruits of this special issue reach far and wide.