A recent study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders suggests that children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder perceive their own effort on cognitive tasks differently than their neurotypical peers. Specifically, children with the condition report trying less hard across a variety of brain-teasing activities, even though they do not rate the activities as any more difficult. This provides evidence that self-reported effort could offer useful insights into the daily challenges faced by children with the disorder. Metacognition refers to a person’s ability to monitor and regulate their own thinking processes. If you have ever realized that you need to re-read a paragraph because your mind wandered, you were using metacognition to evaluate your focus and change your approach. Previous research shows that children with attention disorders often score lower on cognitive tests. These tests typically measure executive functions, which are the mental skills needed to pay attention, follow rules, and control impulses. However, the researchers wanted to know how these children subjectively experience these mental workouts in real time. “There is a large literature showing that …