The Intelligent Mind in Action: Perspectives on Self-Regulation, Metacognition, and Emotion in Cognitive Performance

A special issue of Journal of Intelligence (ISSN 2079-3200). This special issue belongs to the section "Studies on Cognitive Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 2 February 2027 | Viewed by 488

Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Humanities, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
Interests: metacognition in learning; achievement emotions; cognitive processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Humanities, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
Interests: emotions; cognitive processes; brain correlates; emotion–cognition integration

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Guest Editor
Department of Social Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
Interests: self-regulation; emotional processing; intelligence

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The intelligent mind in action emerges from the dynamic interplay between core cognitive abilities—such as reasoning, memory, and attention—and self-regulatory processes involving metacognition and emotion. Rather than operating in isolation, these components continuously interact to support adaptive, goal-directed behavior across tasks, contexts, and developmental stages.

This Special Issue aims to advance an integrative understanding of cognitive performance by examining how metacognitive monitoring and control, emotional regulation, and self-regulation contribute to shape thinking and learning. Growing evidence suggests that effective performance depends not only on cognitive resources but also on individuals’ ability to reflect on their own thinking, regulate emotional states, and flexibly adapt strategies in response to situational demands.

From educational and clinical settings to professional and technological environments, understanding the intelligent mind in action requires bridging traditionally separated domains of cognition, emotion, and metacognition. This Special Issue seeks to contribute to this integrative perspective by bringing together theoretical, empirical, and methodological approaches.

We invite contributions that investigate the mechanisms, processes, and applications of self-regulation, metacognition, and emotion in cognitive performance across the lifespan and contexts.

We welcome submissions of review papers and original empirical contributions, including experimental and observational studies, quantitative and qualitative approaches, as well as methodological and theoretical advancements relevant to the aims of this Special issue.

Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

  • Self-regulation processes and metacognitive monitoring, control, and awareness in cognitive tasks and learning environments;
  • Emotional influences on cognitive performance, including stress, motivation, affect regulation, and emotional awareness;
  • Interactions between cognition, emotion, and metacognition;
  • Developmental trajectories of self-regulation and metacognition in typical and atypical populations;
  • Individual differences in cognitive and emotional regulation and metacognitive skills;
  • Neurocognitive and psychophysiological correlates of self-regulation and metacognition;
  • Assessment and measurement of metacognition and emotional regulation in educational contexts (e.g., schools, universities);
  • Interventions and training programs aimed at enhancing cognitive performance through self-regulatory, metacognitive, and motivational skills;
  • The role of artificial intelligence in supporting, modeling, or assessing self-regulation, metacognition, and emotion in cognitive performance.

Prof. Dr. Paola Palladino
Dr. Tiziana Quarto
Dr. Loreta Cannito
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Intelligence is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • metacognition
  • self-regulation
  • learning
  • emotions
  • cognitive processes

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

32 pages, 1799 KB  
Article
Growth Mindset and Self-Perceived Adaptive Intelligence: A Structural Model of Motivation, Metacognition, Self-Regulated Learning, and Academic Adaptation
by Aljawharah Fahad Aljubilah, Khaled Ahmed Abdel-Al Ibrahim, Ahmad Al-Adwan, Sayed M. Ismail, Anwar Hammad Al-Rashidi and Khalid Abdullah Alotaibi
J. Intell. 2026, 14(7), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence14070133 - 2 Jul 2026
Abstract
Drawing on mindset theory, self-regulated learning theory, learner autonomy, and adaptive intelligence theory, this study tested an integrated structural model of the associations between academic growth mindset and self-perceived adaptive intelligence among Jordanian undergraduates. In this study, self-perceived adaptive intelligence refers to students’ [...] Read more.
Drawing on mindset theory, self-regulated learning theory, learner autonomy, and adaptive intelligence theory, this study tested an integrated structural model of the associations between academic growth mindset and self-perceived adaptive intelligence among Jordanian undergraduates. In this study, self-perceived adaptive intelligence refers to students’ perceived wisdom-related, social/practical, creative, and uncertainty-navigation tendencies; it is not an objective or performance-based measure of cognitive ability. The hypothesized sequential mediation structure was retained, but it was estimated and interpreted as a set of theoretically ordered indirect associations through learning motivation, metacognitive awareness, self-regulated learning strategies, and academic adaptation. Learner autonomy was examined as a moderator of the association between self-regulated learning strategies and academic adaptation. Data were obtained from 640 undergraduate students enrolled in Jordanian universities and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling with WarpPLS 8.0. Academic growth mindset was positively associated with learning motivation and metacognitive awareness. Both constructs were positively associated with self-regulated learning strategies, which, in turn, were positively associated with academic adaptation; academic adaptation, in turn, was positively associated with self-perceived adaptive intelligence. The theoretically ordered sequential indirect associations through the motivational and metacognitive routes were statistically significant, whereas learner autonomy did not significantly moderate the association between self-regulated learning strategies and academic adaptation. Because the data were single-wave and self-reported, the term “sequential” refers to the theory-imposed ordering of paths in the statistical model, not to an observed temporal or developmental progression. Accordingly, the findings represent structural associations and do not establish causal sequencing. The findings contribute to intelligence and higher-education research by distinguishing domain-specific academic adaptation from broader self-perceived adaptive intelligence informed by Sternberg’s adaptive intelligence framework. Full article
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