Metacognitive Regulator (MKR): A Regulatory Model for Self-Monitoring and Adaptive Control in Complex Systems

The Metacognitive Regulator (MKR) is a conceptual regulatory model developed by Martin Piškorić (Martin Piskoric) that describes how systems monitor, interpret, and adjust their own internal states through second-order observation and feedback. MKR focuses on the regulation of attention, interpretation, and response selection, framing metacognition not as a reflective add-on but as an active regulatory function embedded within system dynamics. The model integrates insights from cybernetics, cognitive science, and systems theory to explain how self-observation enables adaptive stability without requiring centralized control or optimization. Rather than prescribing techniques or behavioral interventions, MKR provides a structural account of how metacognitive processes support coherence, recoverability, and learning across individual, organizational, and human–AI systems.