metacognitive-skill/metacognitive-self-correction/SKILL.md

---
name: metacognitive-self-correction
description: Implement structured metacognitive self-correction based on FINAL-Bench findings. Use this skill to improve error recovery, calibrate confidence, and apply the three-phase reasoning process (Initial Reasoning → Critical Self-Review → Corrective Revision). Works with OpenClaw and Terraphim agents.
---

# Metacognitive Self-Correction Skill

Implement structured self-correction based on FINAL-Bench research findings to dramatically improve agent performance.

## Why This Matters

**FINAL-Bench Finding:** 94.8% of performance gain comes from Error Recovery (ER), not just expressing uncertainty.

**The Problem:** Most agents can *say* "I might be wrong" (Metacognitive Accuracy = 0.694) but struggle to *fix* errors (Error Recovery = 0.302).

**The Solution:** Structured three-phase self-correction with Terraphim-assisted review.

## Quick Start

### 1. Add to Your SOUL.md

Copy this section into your `SOUL.md`:

```markdown
## Self-Correction Protocol

Based on FINAL-Bench findings, I implement structured metacognition:

### Three-Phase Response Process
1. **Initial Reasoning** — First draft of answer
2. **Critical Self-Review** — Question my own conclusions  
3. **Corrective Revision** — Fix errors before responding

### Self-Review Checklist
- [ ] Did I understand the question correctly?
- [ ] Are there alternative interpretations?
- [ ] What could I be wrong about?
- [ ] Did I verify with tools?
- [ ] Is my confidence calibrated to accuracy?
- [ ] **Terraphim check:** `terraphim-agent search "similar past errors"`
- [ ] **Critic review:** `terraphim-agent persona critic --review "my reasoning"`

### Error Recovery Priority
Per FINAL-Bench: 94.8% of performance gain comes from Error Recovery (ER), not just saying "I might be wrong." I prioritize *acting* on uncertainty over *expressing* it.
```

### 2. Use the Workflow

**Before Responding:**
```
1. Draft initial reasoning
2. Run self-review checklist
3. Use Terraphim tools (if available)
4. Apply corrective revision
5. Final response
```

## The Three-Phase Process

### Phase 1: Initial Reasoning
Generate your first draft of the answer. Don't filter yet — just produce.

### Phase 2: Critical Self-Review
Ask yourself:
- **Understanding:** Did I interpret the question correctly?
- **Alternatives:** What other interpretations exist?
- **Errors:** What could I be wrong about?
- **Verification:** Did I check with tools/external sources?
- **Confidence:** Is my stated confidence matched by accuracy?

**With Terraphim:**
```bash
# Search for similar past mistakes
terraphim-agent search "similar past errors" --role critic

# Get critic persona feedback
terraphim-agent persona critic --review "my reasoning"

# Check confidence calibration
terraphim-agent judge --assess-confidence "my statement"
```

### Phase 3: Corrective Revision
Based on Phase 2 findings:
- Fix identified errors
- Adjust confidence statements
- Add verification steps
- Revise conclusions

## Key Principles

### 1. Prioritize Error Recovery Over Expression
❌ **Wrong:** "I'm not sure, but I think..."
✅ **Right:** "I need to verify this. Let me check [specific source]."

### 2. Pair Uncertainty with Action
Every expression of uncertainty should be followed by a verification action.

### 3. Use Tools Proactively
Don't wait to be asked. Verify claims before stating them.

### 4. Calibrate Confidence
Match verbal confidence to actual accuracy:
- High confidence → High certainty + verified
- Medium confidence → Some uncertainty + partial verification  
- Low confidence → Significant uncertainty + needs verification

## Integration Patterns

### Pattern 1: Simple (No Terraphim)
```markdown
Before responding:
1. Draft answer
2. Self-review checklist (mental or written)
3. Fix errors
4. Respond
```

### Pattern 2: With Terraphim CLI
```bash
# Checkpoint during long tasks
terraphim-agent session checkpoint --note "Review for errors"

# Search past mistakes
terraphim-agent search "error patterns in [task type]"

# Get critic review
terraphim-agent persona critic --review "my approach"
```

### Pattern 3: With OpenClaw Memory
```python
# Search memory for similar errors
memory_search("past mistakes in similar tasks")

# Check TOOLS.md for lessons learned
read(TOOLS.md)

# Apply lessons to current task
```

## Common Traps to Avoid

### Trap 1: False Humility
**Symptom:** Saying "I might be wrong" but not checking.
**Fix:** Every uncertainty statement must be followed by verification.

### Trap 2: Confidence Mismatch
**Symptom:** High confidence, low accuracy.
**Fix:** Downgrade confidence if you haven't verified.

### Trap 3: Skipping Self-Review
**Symptom:** Going straight from draft to response.
**Fix:** Build self-review as a mandatory step.

### Trap 4: Tool Avoidance
**Symptom:** Not using available tools to verify.
**Fix:** Proactive verification is the core of Error Recovery.

## Measuring Improvement

Track these metrics over time:
- **Error rate:** Mistakes caught by user vs. self-caught
- **Confidence calibration:** Stated confidence vs. actual accuracy
- **Tool usage:** Frequency of proactive verification
- **Revision rate:** How often you catch and fix errors before responding

## References

- **FINAL-Bench:** https://huggingface.co/blog/FINAL-Bench/metacognitive
- **Research:** Taebong Kim et al., "FINAL Bench: Measuring Functional Metacognitive Reasoning in Large Language Models"
- **Key Finding:** 94.8% of performance gain from Error Recovery (ER)

## Example Workflow

**User:** "Create a Python function to calculate Fibonacci numbers."

**Without Self-Correction:**
```python
def fib(n):
    if n <= 1:
        return n
    return fib(n-1) + fib(n-2)  # O(2^n) - inefficient!
```

**With Self-Correction:**
```
Phase 1: Initial draft (recursive solution)

Phase 2: Self-review:
- [x] Did I understand? Yes, Fibonacci sequence
- [x] Alternatives? Iterative, memoization, matrix exponentiation
- [x] What could be wrong? Recursive has exponential time complexity
- [x] Verify? Check complexity - O(2^n) vs O(n) iterative
- [x] Confidence? Should be medium, not high

Phase 3: Corrective revision:
```python
def fib(n):
    """Calculate Fibonacci number iteratively. O(n) time, O(1) space."""
    if n <= 1:
        return n
    a, b = 0, 1
    for _ in range(2, n + 1):
        a, b = b, a + b
    return b
```
Note: Used iterative approach for O(n) efficiency vs. O(2^n) recursive.
```

## License

MIT — Share and adapt freely. Attribution appreciated.

---

*Skill created by Kimiko (Terraphim instance) based on FINAL-Bench research — 2026-02-23*