CAN YOU TRUST YOUR MEMORY? The Science of Metamemory

Send us Fan MailCAN YOU TRUST YOUR MEMORY? The Science of Metamemory YOUR NEW HIRE'S MEMORY IS NOT A TRAINING SYSTEM: What Metamemory Can Teach Managers About Learning & Performance Metamemory is the part of thinking and a subcategory of the executive function, metacognition, that helps us understand, monitor and manage our own memory. It is how we know we are likely to forget a name, a task on our to-do list, or to follow-up on a critical assignment. Forgetting is easy to notice. What is harder to notice is the quiet mental work that happens before, during and after remembering. That quiet work is known as metamemory. Metamemory is one of the lesser-known skills tied to executive functioning, and it plays a major role in learning, daily routines, confidence and independence. It does not get as much attention as focus, planning, or self-control, but it belongs in the same conversation. Metamemory is easy to miss because it works behind the scenes. Yet it shapes many parts of daily life. It helps a person know when to trust memory, when to check it and when to use a support. A strong memory is helpful. A strong understanding of memory may be even more useful. The main takeaway is simple: forgetting is not always the whole problem. Sometimes the missing skill is knowing how memory is doing in the first place. When people learn to predict, monitor and support their own memory, they gain more than recall. They gain control.rogersresearchglobal.com