Cognitive Flexibility and Meta-Cognition among Adolescents and Adults

Abstract

Depression, anxiety and other mental health among youth concerns are found to be worsening in recent years due to several factors. In this scenario, having the ability to shift their perspective and adapt to new unexpected situations- cognitive flexibility – is essential to deal with daily life crisis. In this study we hypothesize that being aware of one’s own thoughts will significantly contribute to cognitive flexibility. Thus, the study focuses on how meta-cognition contributes to fostering cognitive flexibility. A total of 143 adolescents and adults have completed the cognitive flexibility inventory and metacognition questionnaire – 30. t-test, correlation, and hierarchical regression were conducted to find the effect of age and metacognition on cognitive flexibility. From the result it was found that metacognition significantly contributed to cognitive flexibility. Age is also found to be a significant predictor. Enhancing one’s metacognitive ability can significantly enhance cognitive flexibility among youth.