What is the Dunning–Kruger Effect?

8. Metacognition

Metacognition is defined as “cognition about cognition,” “thinking about thinking,” and “knowing about knowing.” Philosophers consider metacognition the highest form of thought. They define it as the ability "to be aware of awareness itself." People with high levels of metacognition are aware of their own thought processes. They can analyze their own ideas, skills, and knowledge. This analysis leads to learning, adapting, and changing opinions as new information is gained. People with low levels of metacognition cannot analyze their own thought processes, so they can not see errors in their own thoughts or recognize a lack of knowledge.