Understanding temporal patterns of metacognitive monitoring and control in 5- to 6-year-olds

Efficient metacognition relies on a fine-tuned interplay between monitoring and control. However, these temporal dynamics between monitoring and control are still poorly understood, which limits our understanding of why some children succeed and other children struggle with metacognition. We assessed metacognitive monitoring, control, and off-task behavior in an unsolvable task in which participants built a wooden snake according to a plan. Participants were N = 123 typically developing 5- to 6-year-olds ( M age = 5.45 years, SD = 0.59, 52% female). We coded monitoring, control, and off-task behavior in 5-s intervals, resulting in a total of 6,150 observations. Based on children's monitoring, control, and off-task behaviors, we ran a latent class vector-autoregression analysis. We identified four latent clusters. The four clusters display distinct behavioral patterns over time, marked by varying levels of monitoring, control, and off-task behaviors. Subsequent analyses showed that younger children showed less stable metacognition than older children. Understanding differences in metacognitive dynamics is particularly important when trying to understand why children have metacognitive difficulties and may have important implications for tailoring interventions to the metacognitive needs of children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)

Class (philosophy · Cognition · Control (management · Latent class model · Metacognition · Psychological intervention · Task (project management · Educational and Psychological Assessments