Cue-Utilization Approach to Cognitive Monitoring and Performance

The ability to accurately monitor and regulate one's cognitive performance is essential to success in a number of settings. What distinguishes between those who can accurately monitor their own performance and those who cannot? Inferential, cue-based approaches to monitoring suggest that monitoring accuracy is influenced by the amount and quality of information available during monitoring. Differences in task strategy may influence monitoring accuracy by bringing about differences in the type and quality of cues available for assessment. A series of experiments explores the complex relationship between task performance, strategies, and monitoring accuracy on a nonverbal inductive reasoning task, the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM). Results suggest that qualitative individual differences in task strategy influence monitoring accuracy by bringing about differences in the type and quality of cues available during monitoring. Moreover, these differences play a role in the accuracy of participants' subjective confidence. Implications for self-regulation and adaptive cognitive monitoring and control are discussed.