Metacognition is thinking about thinking: the beliefs, judgments, and strategies a person uses to regulate their own mental activity. In the context of anxiety, metacognitive beliefs — such as "worrying keeps me prepared" or "I cannot control my thoughts" — are what actually sustain the anxiety cycle.
Concept origin
Flavell (1979) introduced the concept in developmental cognitive psychology. Adrian Wells transferred it to the clinical field with his Metacognitive Therapy (MCT), publishing the S-REF model in 1994 and the therapeutic manual in 2009. MCT has solid evidence in anxiety and depression.
Therapeutic approach
Metacognitive Therapy uses techniques such as Attention Training (disengaging from internal monitoring), Detached Mindfulness (observing thoughts without engaging), and direct modification of metacognitive beliefs through behavioral experiments.
Related concepts
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