Factor analysis results for Study Two.

Our cognitive capacities like working memory and attention are known to systematically vary over time with our physical activity levels, dietary choices, and sleep patterns. However, whether our metacognitive capacities––such as our strategic use and optimization of cognitive resources––show a similar relationship with these key lifestyle factors remains unknown. Here we addressed this question in healthy young adults by examining if physical activity, diet, and sleep patterns were predictive of self-reported metacognitive status. Participants completed a set of validated surveys assessing these lifestyle factors over the past week to month, as well as three measures of metacognition. Using multiple regression and exploratory factor analyses we identified four clusters of metacognitive processes that are sensitive to lifestyle behaviours. Specifically, knowledge of and offline regulation of cognition is linked with physical activity, on-line cognitive regulation is related to diet, and metacognitive worry is associated with sleep behaviours. These findings suggest that lifestyle behaviours do not just affect objective cognitive functioning, but also the meta-level processes we use to monitor our cognitive performance and exert strategic control over our cognitive resources.

众所周知，人类的认知能力（如工作记忆与注意力）会随身体活动水平、饮食选择及睡眠模式的变化呈现出系统性的时序波动。然而，元认知能力（metacognitive capacities）——例如对认知资源的策略性调用与优化——是否与这些关键生活方式因素存在类似关联，目前仍不明确。本研究针对健康青年群体展开相关研究，探究身体活动、饮食与睡眠模式能否预测自我报告的元认知状态。受试者完成了一系列经过验证的问卷，用以评估其过去一周至一个月内的上述生活方式因素，同时完成了三项元认知测评任务。本研究采用多元回归分析与探索性因子分析，识别出对生活方式行为敏感的四类元认知加工集群。具体而言，认知知识与离线认知调控与身体活动水平相关，在线认知调控与饮食选择存在关联，而元认知担忧则与睡眠行为密切相关。本研究结果表明，生活方式行为不仅会影响客观认知功能，还会作用于我们用以监控认知表现、并对认知资源实施策略性调控的元级加工过程。