Metacognition and motivation: Links between confidence, self-protection and self-enhancement

Following the Metacognitive Affective Model of SRL (MASRL; Efklides, 2011), this study sought to investigate the contribution of self-protection and self-enhancement motivations to individual differences in confidence, an on-task metacognitive experience, along with links to anxiety. Participants (N = 197) completed self-report measures of motivation, metacognitive beliefs and anxiety, along with three cognitive tests incorporating confidence judgments. Exploratory Factor Analyses suggested two distinct motivational tendencies: Self-protection and Self-enhancement. Metacognitive Beliefs, performance Accuracy and Confidence latent factors were also established. Path analysis suggested that Self-protection and Self-enhancement tendencies had respective negative and positive predictions to Metacognitive Beliefs, which in turn positively predicted Confidence. Furthermore, Self-protection positively predicted anxiety levels. This study is the first to establish the link between self-protection and self-enhancement motivations and on-task metacognitive confidence, along with highlighting links to anxiety. In doing so, the findings provide support for the MASRL model.