Optimal Use of Reminders: Data and Code, 2020

Researchers have developed many experimental tasks for studying memory for intentions in the laboratory. Virtually all of these tasks prevent participants from using external tools and reminders. However, in everyday life we often use diaries or to-do lists, or we set up reminders in our environment. How do we decide whether or not to use these strategies? What consequences do they have for our behaviour? How much do individuals differ in whether or not they use reminders, and what can we do to influence this? While some studies have investigated these questions in brain-injured individuals, we know very little about healthy people. Yet, with new technologies such as smartphone reminder apps and wearable devices, we increasingly 'offload' intentions into the world around us. This proposal describes a systematic and detailed investigation of 'intention offloading'. Data from Gilbert, S.J., Bird, A., Carpenter, J., Fleming, S.M., Sachdeva, C., & Tsai, P.C. (2020). Optimal use of reminders: Metacognition, effort, and cognitive offloading. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 149, 501-517<p>Every day, we form many intentions for behaviours that we plan to execute after a delay. These intentions might be postponed for just a few seconds (e.g. intending to add an attachment to an email before clicking 'send'), or minutes, days, or longer (e.g. intending to attend a planned hospital appointment). If we are to live independent, purposeful lives, it is essential that we are able to fulfil such intentions. Yet we all know how easily forgotten they are. This can have catastrophic effects in safety-critical fields such as nursing or aviation, and serious consequences for health-related behaviours such as remembering to take medication. Understanding how we fulfil delayed intentions will allow us to develop techniques to optimise this aspect of memory, and potentially compensate for any difficulties.

Researchers have developed many experimental tasks for studying memory for intentions in the laboratory. Virtually all of these tasks prevent participants from using external tools and reminders. However, in everyday life we often use diaries or to-do lists, or we set up reminders in our environment. How do we decide whether or not to use these strategies? What consequences do they have for our behaviour? How much do individuals differ in whether or not they use reminders, and what can we do to influence this? While some studies have investigated these questions in brain-injured individuals, we know very little about healthy people. Yet, with new technologies such as smartphone reminder apps and wearable devices, we increasingly 'offload' intentions into the world around us. This proposal describes a systematic and detailed investigation of 'intention offloading'.</p>