Reliability Generalization Meta-analysis of the Metacognition Awareness Inventory

The Metacognition Awareness Inventory (MAI) is a widely used instrument for assessing metacognition, with various translations and adaptations available. The aim of this study is to conduct a reliability generalization meta-analysis to estimate the average reliability of the MAI and its generalization. Additionally, we explore the variability in reliability coefficients and the influence of moderating variables. The search of studies was conducted in six electronic datasets. Cronbach’s alphas were extracted and transformed (i.e., Bonnett transformation), and they were synthesized using a three-level model. The effect of the several moderator variables was explored (e.g., genre, age, language, and application format). A total of 137 Cronbach’s alphas were included from 61 studies based on 21,407 participants. The results reveal good reliability for the instrument (>0.75), with a high variability attributed to differences between studies. The test dimension and version explained part of this variability. There were no substantial indications of publication bias.