Thinking about thinking: A longitudinal investigation linking developments in metacognition, inhibitory control, and theory of mind

Mariel Symeonidou; Martin J. Doherty; Josephine  Ross

doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106103

Thinking about thinking: A longitudinal investigation linking developments in metacognition, inhibitory control, and theory of mind

Mariel Symeonidou, Martin J. Doherty, Josephine Ross

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Abstract

This longitudinal study tracked the developmental relations linking metacognition, theory of mind, and inhibitory control in 52 children across a 1.5-year interval, beginning at 3 or 4 years of age. Metacognition and inhibitory control emerged before theory of mind and predicted subsequent theory of mind competence. Moreover, there was evidence of developmental mediation, whereby metacognition predicted inhibitory control, which predicted theory of mind. We suggest that metacognitive self-reflection may provide the “developmental enrichment” necessary to think about thinking, and when inhibitory control is sufficiently developed this thinking can be extended to complex reasoning about own and other minds.

Original language	English
Article number	106103
Journal	Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
Volume	249
Early online date	17 Oct 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106103
Publication status	Published - Jan 2025

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Cite this

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title = "Thinking about thinking: A longitudinal investigation linking developments in metacognition, inhibitory control, and theory of mind",

abstract = "This longitudinal study tracked the developmental relations linking metacognition, theory of mind, and inhibitory control in 52 children across a 1.5-year interval, beginning at 3 or 4 years of age. Metacognition and inhibitory control emerged before theory of mind and predicted subsequent theory of mind competence. Moreover, there was evidence of developmental mediation, whereby metacognition predicted inhibitory control, which predicted theory of mind. We suggest that metacognitive self-reflection may provide the “developmental enrichment” necessary to think about thinking, and when inhibitory control is sufficiently developed this thinking can be extended to complex reasoning about own and other minds.",

author = "Mariel Symeonidou and Doherty, {Martin J.} and Josephine Ross",

note = "Data availability statement: Data are freely available on the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/cqt72). Funding information: This project was made possible by funding received from the Experimental Psychology Society (560 808009) and a University of Dundee PhD studentship held by the first author. ",

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AU - Symeonidou, Mariel

AU - Doherty, Martin J.

AU - Ross, Josephine

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N2 - This longitudinal study tracked the developmental relations linking metacognition, theory of mind, and inhibitory control in 52 children across a 1.5-year interval, beginning at 3 or 4 years of age. Metacognition and inhibitory control emerged before theory of mind and predicted subsequent theory of mind competence. Moreover, there was evidence of developmental mediation, whereby metacognition predicted inhibitory control, which predicted theory of mind. We suggest that metacognitive self-reflection may provide the “developmental enrichment” necessary to think about thinking, and when inhibitory control is sufficiently developed this thinking can be extended to complex reasoning about own and other minds.

AB - This longitudinal study tracked the developmental relations linking metacognition, theory of mind, and inhibitory control in 52 children across a 1.5-year interval, beginning at 3 or 4 years of age. Metacognition and inhibitory control emerged before theory of mind and predicted subsequent theory of mind competence. Moreover, there was evidence of developmental mediation, whereby metacognition predicted inhibitory control, which predicted theory of mind. We suggest that metacognitive self-reflection may provide the “developmental enrichment” necessary to think about thinking, and when inhibitory control is sufficiently developed this thinking can be extended to complex reasoning about own and other minds.

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