Function and Evolution of Cognitive Monitoring and Cognitive Control

元认知是一种思考自己思维过程的能力，这对复杂的认知至关重要。例如，了解你对一个新单词的了解程度可以让你决定什么时候停止学习。元认知包括监控自己正在进行的认知过程和对它们施加认知控制。这项研究具有重要意义，因为它将确定认知监测和控制在复杂的非人类灵长类动物认知中的作用。这种比较研究将促进对复杂认知进化和人类独特之处的认识。研究人员将通过参观幼儿园至12年级的教室，并在当地动物园开发一个互动亭，让游客体验与展出的灵长类动物进行的相同的认知测试，来促进认知科学和灵长类动物认知的公众教育。在整个研究项目中，本科生和研究生将接受科学事业的培训。来自心理物理和记忆测试的证据表明，非人类灵长类动物会内省地监控一些认知过程，例如，它们会选择性地回避困难的测试。这项研究将通过检查哪些认知系统可以进行认知监测，哪些不可以，来确定认知监测在灵长类动物的认知控制中的作用。通过对涉及有助于准确性的多个记忆系统的任务的准确性和信心之间的分离测试，以及使用分离运动和感知过程的心理物理测试，可以将认知监测中可获得的认知系统与那些不能通过认知监测的认知系统区分开来。具体研究通过考虑以下因素来实现这些目标：1)灵长类动物在多大程度上调节它们在测试前获得的信息量；2)灵长类动物在进行元认知判断时监测哪些信息；3)灵长类动物仅在必要时才策略性地进行认知控制，并在竞争任务之间自适应地分配监控的程度；4)类语言心理表征在认知监测和控制中的作用。这些比较研究将确定在灵长类动物进化过程中认知监测和认知控制的变化程度。

Metacognition is the ability to think about one's own thought processes, which is critical for sophisticated cognition. For example, understanding how well you know a new vocabulary word allows you to decide when to stop studying words as they are learned. Metacognition involves both monitoring one's own ongoing cognitive processes and exerting cognitive control over them. The proposed research is significant because it will identify the role of cognitive monitoring and control in complex nonhuman primate cognition. This comparative research will advance knowledge of the evolution of complex cognition and of what makes humans unique. The investigators will promote public education about cognitive science and primate cognition through visits to K-12 classrooms and developing an interactive kiosk at the local zoo that allows visitors to experience the same cognitive tests performed by the primates on exhibit. Throughout the research project, undergraduate and graduate students will receive training for careers in science.Evidence from psychophysical and memory tests indicates that nonhuman primates introspectively monitor some cognitive processes, for example showing selective avoidance of difficult tests. This research will determine the role of cognitive monitoring for cognitive control in primates by examining which cognitive systems are accessible to cognitive monitoring and which are not. Cognitive systems accessible to cognitive monitoring will be distinguished from those that are not by testing for dissociations between accuracy and confidence in tasks involving multiple memory systems contributing to accuracy, and by using psychophysical tests that dissociate motor and perceptual processes. Specific studies address these goals through consideration of 1) the extent to which primates regulate the amount of information they acquire prior to taking tests; 2) what information primates monitor when making metacognitive judgments; 3) the extent to which primates strategically exercise cognitive control only when necessary and adaptively allocate monitoring among competing tasks; and 4) the role of language-like mental representations in cognitive monitoring and control. These comparative studies will determine the extent to which there have been changes in cognitive monitoring and cognitive control through primate evolution.