Professor Steve Fleming | How the Human Brain Thinks About Itself

The human brain has a remarkable ability to monitor and evaluate its own mental states, known as metacognition. Metacognition is crucial to success, enabling us to recognise gaps in our knowledge and collaborate effectively. Problems with metacognition are linked to maladaptive behaviours, such as endorsing false beliefs or being unaware of our own limitations. In my talk I will review the development of experimental and modelling tools that allow us to isolate how metacognitive capacity relates to human brain function and supports a rich awareness of our skills and capabilities. I will explore the psychological structure of metacognition across different tasks and cognitive domains, and ask how self-evaluative judgment contributes to belief formation and changes of mind. I’ll end by considering the implications of a science of metacognition for mental health, education and AI.