Online cancer forums and complementary and alternative medicine in cancer care: effects of ehealth literacy and psychological distress on use and attitudes.

Metacognition, defined as one’s knowledge concerning one’s own cognitive processes and products or anything related to them (Gurat & Medula, , p. 171; also see Koriat, , ; Metcalfe & Schwartz, ), is an important cognitive ability across the lifespan, but may be particularly consequential in later life. As individuals grow older, many cognitive abilities begin to decline (Balota et al., ; Cabeza et al., ; Craik, ; Habeck et al., ), making metacognitive monitoring, or the process of judging one’s own cognition, crucial for adapting to these shifts and maintaining optimal mental functioning. For example, if an older adult recognizes their inability to remember daily medicine dosages, they may adopt compensatory strategies, such as using a pill organizer (Baltes & Baltes, ) or an external memory aid to offload important information (Burnett & Richmond, ; Murphy & Castel, ). In this way, metacognition facilitates self-awareness of cognitive strengths and weaknesses, aiding in the selection of appropriate strategies to enhance cognitive performance and compensate for age-related declines (Hertzog, ). Beyond everyday functioning, it is also thought to play a central role in early subjective detection of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (Chapman et al., ; Cosentino, ; Cosentino et al., ; Sunderaraman & Cosentino, ), before such symptoms are observable through objective cognitive testing (i.e., Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD); Cosentino et al., ). Metacognitive processes further contribute to effective decision making, problem solving, and learning, crucial components for maintaining independence and quality of life in later adulthood (Dunlosky & Metcalfe, ). Moreover, metacognition plays a crucial role in maintaining mental health and emotional well-being by facilitating recognition and regulation of cognitive distortions and negative thought patterns (Dixon & Hultsch, ). By fostering a proactive approach to cognitive health, metacognition may support adaptive responses to cognitive and physiological challenges in later life and encourage continued engagement in learning and cognitively stimulating activities. The present review focuses on age-related differences in metacognitive accuracy, defined as the degree to which an individual’s subjective judgments about their performance corresponds to their actual objective performance (Fleming & Lau, ; Nelson, ). Although metacognitive accuracy is highly relevant to pathological aging and neurodegenerative conditions, our emphasis here is on “normal,” non-pathological aging (for reviews of both metacognitive monitoring and accuracy in clinical populations, see Bertrand et al., ; Chapman et al., ; Latgé-Tovar et al., ; Rosen et al., ; Souchay & Moulin, ; Starkstein, ; Sun et al., ; Wilson et al., ).