A Strategic Mind-Set: An Orientation Toward Being Metacognitive During Goal Pursuit

• In Event: Expanding the Role of Metamotivational Knowledge in Academic Self-Regulation

Abstract

Objectives
Certain metacognitive and metamotivational strategies, such as planning, self-monitoring, and self-consequating, are positively associated with academic achievement (Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990; Trautner & Schwinger, 2020). Why do some people apply more of these strategies than others, and can this general tendency be cultivated? We propose one plausible answer: a “strategic mindset”— an orientation toward asking strategy-eliciting questions, such as “What can I do to help myself?” or “Is there a way to do this even better?” in the face of challenges or insufficient progress.

Theoretical Framework
We drew inspiration from theories on metacognition (Carver & Scheier, 1998; Flavell, 1979), metamotivation (Scholer et al., 2018), and mindsets (Gollwitzer, 2012). Psychologists have generally conceptualized, measured, and intervened upon metacognitive strategies as a set of separate, but interrelated skills. However, having these skills is no guarantee that one will use them when they are needed. To explain why some individuals are more likely to access and apply metacognitive and metamotivational strategies, we introduce the idea of a strategic mindset, which acts as a self-prime that can prompt the spontaneous accessing of such strategies.
In the present studies (Authors, 2020), we focused only on people’s metacognitive strategies, though we will discuss implications of the findings for metamotivation. Specifically, we hypothesized that a strategic mindset predicts individual differences in metacognitive strategy-use during goal pursuit, which in turn is associated with goal progress—i.e., a strategic mindset indirectly relates to goal achievement through strategy-use.

Methods and Results
In Study 1, 365 undergraduates completed a survey in the Fall term, self-reporting their strategic mindset and metacognitive strategy-use in their classes. With consent, we obtained their Fall and Winter term GPAs. The higher students’ strategic mindset, the more they used metacognitive strategies during learning, and in turn the higher their GPA in the fall and winter (see Figure 3.1). Indirect effects were significant in both terms.
In Study 2, 365 adults reported their strategic mindset, and how much progress they had been making toward an important professional/educational goal and a health/fitness goal. Later, they reported how frequently they had used metacognitive strategies when pursuing each of these goals. Figure 3.2 shows that a strategic mindset indirectly predicted people’s self-reported goal progress through their strategy-use across these different domains.
In Study 3, we randomly assigned 134 participants to receive a strategic mindset or control induction. Next, we asked them to perform a challenging, unfamiliar task: crack eggs and separate as much of their whites as possible within 2 minutes. Participants reported their use of metacognitive strategies during the task (corroborated by independent observations of their strategy-use). Figure 3.3 shows the induction of a strategic mindset indirectly led participants to perform the task faster by increasing their use of metacognitive strategies.

Significance
A strategic mindset predicts people’s spontaneous, frequent use of metacognitive strategies as they pursue various important goals—including college GPA, and progress toward professional, educational, health, and fitness goals. Beyond possessing metacognitive skills, an orientation toward being metacognitive matters. Implications for metamotivation will be discussed.

Authors

• Patricia Chen, National University of Singapore

• Joseph T. Powers, Intuit

• Kruthika Katragadda, Stanford University

• Geoffrey L. Cohen, Stanford University

• Carol Dweck, Stanford University