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How Local and Global Metacognition Shape Mental Health
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Metacognition is the ability to reflect on our own cognition and mental states. It is a critical aspect of human subjective experience and operates across many hierarchical levels of abstraction-encompassing local confidence in isolated decisions and global self-beliefs about our abilities and skills. Alterations in metacognition are considered foundational to neurologic and psychiatric disorders, but research has mostly focused on local metacognitive computations, missing out on the role of global aspects of metacognition. Here, we first review current behavioral and neural metrics of local metacognition that lay the foundation for this research. We then address the neurocognitive underpinnings of global metacognition uncovered by recent studies. Finally, we outline a theoretical framework in which higher hierarchical levels of metacognition may help identify the role of maladaptive metacognitive evaluation in mental health conditions, particularly when combined with transdiagnostic methods.
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“A number of studies have linked local and global metacognitive biases to individual differences in transdiagnostic mental health symptoms, including anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and compulsivity (Hoven et al. 2019, Seow et al. 2021).”
From Metacognition and Confidence: A Review and Synthesis (2024) · cites this paper as Seow et al. 2021
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“При многих психиатрических расстройствах нарушаются только глобальные метакогнитивные способности”
From Когнитивные механизмы дисфункционального принятия решений при психических расстройствах (2025) · cites this paper as Seow et al., 2021
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“при третьих -то и другое вместе.”
From Когнитивные механизмы дисфункционального принятия решений при психических расстройствах (2025) · cites this paper as Seow et al., 2021
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“при других -только локальные”
From Когнитивные механизмы дисфункционального принятия решений при психических расстройствах (2025) · cites this paper as Seow et al., 2021
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Metadata
- Authors
- Seow, T. X. F., Rouault, M., Gillan, C. M., & Fleming, S. M.
- Affiliations
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
- Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (FR)
- Trinity College Dublin (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Seow, Tricia X.F.
- Rouault, Marion
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-10
- Volume
- 90
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 436-446
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3164959546
- Cited by
- 159
- References
- 156
- Citations by year
- 2026: 37 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 48 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 3
- FWCI
- 3.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hal.science
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-10-IDEX-0001-02 PSL, MQ16IP13)
- Wellcome Trust (203147/Z/16/Z, 206648/Z/17/Z)
- AXA Research Fund
- MQ Transforming Mental Health
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
- Royal Society
- Science Foundation Ireland (19/FFP/6418)
- University College London
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Keywords
- metacognition, mental health, metacognitive confidence, self-belief, transdiagnostic approach, mental illness, neurocognitive mechanisms
- MeSH terms
- Metacognition, Mental Disorders, Cognition, Humans, Mental Health
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