The Effect of Metacognition Processing on Brain Regional Activity with Regard to Anxiety and Impulsivity o

The aim of study was to examine the brain regional activity based on anxiety and impulsivity during meta-cognitive processing. Six hundred female students in Tarbiat Modares University completed the Meta-cognition Questionnaire, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire and Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. According to scores in extraversion and neuroticism dimensions, 4 groups including Anx, Anx-, Imp and Imp- (each group 15 subjects) were selected. EEG was recorded during 4 conditions including rest, performing the Stroop, performing the Wisconsin and performing the Attention Training Technique. The results showed that meta-cognitive processing in Anx- was better than Anx. Better quality of meta-cognitive processing in Imp- than Imp was not shown. Other findings suggested that when meta-cognitive processing, Anx was higher than Anx- in the activity of right pre-frontal and frontal of both hemispheres, also Imp was higher in the activity of pre-frontal and frontal of both hemispheres than Imp-. In general, this study highlighted the role of executive functions in meta-cognitive processing, discusses the relationship among meta-cognitive processing, anxiety, impulsivity and brain regional activities.