Metacognition is best described as thinking about thinking.

• A. The act of thinking about thinking
• B. Memory encoding
• C. Attention
• D. Language processing

Answer: (A)

Metacognition centers on regulating your own thinking. The best description is the act of thinking about thinking—being aware of how you think and actively guiding those processes. This includes recognizing when you understand something, planning which strategy to use, monitoring your progress, and adjusting your approach as needed. For example, while studying, you might decide to skim for main ideas, pause to check if you comprehend a paragraph, and later reflect on what study method worked well.

Memory encoding is about turning experiences into lasting memory traces, not about thinking about thinking. Attention is about focusing mental resources on a task, not about monitoring or controlling thought processes. Language processing involves understanding and producing language, which is separate from metacognitive monitoring and regulation.