From Meta-Thought to Execution: Cognitively Aligned Post-Training for Generalizable and Reliable LLM Reasoning

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2601.21909v1
• Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:00:48 GMT
• Title: From Meta-Thought to Execution: Cognitively Aligned Post-Training for Generalizable and Reliable LLM Reasoning
• Abstract summary: Current post-training methods do not align with how humans actually solve problems.<n>We propose a cognitively-inspired framework that explicitly mirrors the two-stage human cognitive process.
• Score: 5.703029996279753
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: Current LLM post-training methods optimize complete reasoning trajectories through Supervised Fine-Tuning (SFT) followed by outcome-based Reinforcement Learning (RL). While effective, a closer examination reveals a fundamental gap: this approach does not align with how humans actually solve problems. Human cognition naturally decomposes problem-solving into two distinct stages: first acquiring abstract strategies (i.e., meta-knowledge) that generalize across problems, then adapting them to specific instances. In contrast, by treating complete trajectories as basic units, current methods are inherently problem-centric, entangling abstract strategies with problem-specific execution. To address this misalignment, we propose a cognitively-inspired framework that explicitly mirrors the two-stage human cognitive process. Specifically, Chain-of-Meta-Thought (CoMT) focuses supervised learning on abstract reasoning patterns without specific executions, enabling acquisition of generalizable strategies. Confidence-Calibrated Reinforcement Learning (CCRL) then optimizes task adaptation via confidence-aware rewards on intermediate steps, preventing overconfident errors from cascading and improving execution reliability. Experiments across four models and eight benchmarks show 2.19\% and 4.63\% improvements in-distribution and out-of-distribution respectively over standard methods, while reducing training time by 65-70% and token consumption by 50%, demonstrating that aligning post-training with human cognitive principles yields not only superior generalization but also enhanced training efficiency.

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