What cognitive process enhances the ability to think about and understand one’s own thinking?

Metacognition is the cognitive process that specifically enhances the ability to think about and understand one’s own thinking. It involves a higher-level awareness of how we learn, understand, and remember information. Individuals engaging in metacognition not only monitor their cognitive processes but also regulate them by planning, assessing their comprehension, and adjusting their strategies for learning. This self-awareness allows for improved problem-solving and decision-making skills, as individuals can reflect on how they approach tasks and adapt their methods accordingly.

Chunking refers to a memory strategy where individual pieces of information are grouped together to enhance retention and recall, rather than reflecting on the cognitive processes involved. Divergent thinking focuses on generating multiple creative solutions to open-ended problems, while convergent thinking emphasizes finding a single, correct answer to a well-defined problem. While these two forms of thinking are important in their own right, they do not involve the self-reflective aspect inherent in metacognition.