Relationship between Impulsivity and Meta-Cognition with Cognitive Failures

Inadvertent mistakes are often major problems in daily life. Cognitive failure is the nomenclature attributed to these defects and cognitive failures questionnaire measures the self-reported frequency of these mistakes. It is hypothesized that impulsivity and meta-cognition have underlying associations with cognitive failures. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between impulsivity and meta-cognition with cognitive failures.

A randomly selected sample of 125 university students (age range: 18-22)  administered the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale Questionnaire, and Meta-Cognition Questionnaire (MCQ). Data were analyzed using regression.

The results indicated that the component of meta-cognition, cognitive confidence had a positive significant relationship with cognitive failures (r=0.51, p<0.01). Furthermore, amongst components of impulsivity, urgency had a significant negative relationship with cognitive failures (r=-0.44, p<0.01). A regression analysis revealed that cognitive confidence and urgency could predict cognitive failure variance. According to Beta coefficients, relative potion of cognitive confidence to predict CF was 51% at first step and 40% in the second. Relative potion of urgency in the second step was 27%.

The effect of little urgency and inefficient cognitive confidence is noticeable in distraction, memory problems, blunders and lack of names remembering.