An Assessment of the Relationship between metacognitive States, Problem Solving and Psychological well-being

Metacognition in education means a person''s awareness of his cognitive processes and monitor and evaluate their thinking during problem solving. Metacognition as planning and cognitive change strategies has is a close relationship with problem solving (Nepetrich & Digrot 1990). Hepner (1987) suggest problem solving as a collection of behavioral، cognitive and emotional reactions of an individual which can be observed in a person’s daily activities and are with the purpose of adjustment with intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli. For this aim، 97 students (14 to 18 years) from Isfahan high school and secondary schools were randomly selected (50 girls and 47 boys) and were given the students’ state meta cognitive inventory (Oniel and Abedi 1996)، the Hepner and Peterson’s problem solving inventory (1982) and Ryff’s scales of psychological well-being (1989). Findings of the study indicated a positive and significant relationship between meta cognitive components and psychological well-being (in girls r=0. 47، P<0. 001and on boys: r=0. 49، P<0. 001) on the one hand and a negative and significant relationship between the dimensions of problem solving and the students’ psychological well-being (in girls: r=-0. 72، P<0. 001and in boys: r=-0. 64، P<0. 001). the stepwise multiple regression analysis awareness in girls and self- checking in boys in meta cognitive components and trust in problem solving and personal control in girls and avoidance tendency style in boys in problem solving components could best predict the psychological well-being of the students. It is concluded that the girls students with higher self-meta cognitive awareness and higher trust in their problem solving process and boys student with conscious correction، and less avoidance strategies have higher feelings of wellbeing and adjustment in dealing with different tasks.