Metacognition - the ability to represent, monitor and control ongoing cognitive processes - helps us perform many tasks, both when acting alone and when working with others. While metacognition is adaptive, and found in other animals, we should not assume that all human forms of metacognition are gene-based adaptations. Instead, some forms may have a social origin, including the discrimination, interpretation, and broadcasting of metacognitive representations. There is evidence that each of these abilities depends on cultural learning and therefore that cultural selection might shape human metacognition. The cultural origins hypothesis is a plausible and testable alternative that directs us towards a substantial new programme of research.

中文翻译：

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一起认识自己：元认知的文化起源

元认知——表示、监控和控制持续认知过程的能力——帮助我们执行许多任务，无论是单独行动还是与他人合作时。虽然元认知是适应性的，并且在其他动物中也有发现，但我们不应该假设所有人类形式的元认知都是基于基因的适应。相反，某些形式可能具有社会起源，包括元认知表征的辨别、解释和传播。有证据表明，这些能力都取决于文化学习，因此文化选择可能会塑造人类的元认知。文化起源假说是一个看似合理且可测试的替代方案，它引导我们进行实质性的新研究计划。