Optimal cognitive offloading: Increased reminder usage but reduced pro-reminder bias in older adults

TSAI, PEI-CHUN; Scarampi, Chiara; Kliegel, Matthias; Gilbert, Sam · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/2cghy

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Summary

This study investigates age-related differences in cognitive offloading, specifically how younger and older adults utilize external reminders to support prospective memory (the ability to remember delayed intentions). While older adults often experience declines in prospective memory, it is unclear whether they optimally compensate for this by using external aids or if their usage is driven by metacognitive biases. The authors aimed to distinguish between the absolute frequency of reminder use and the bias toward using reminders relative to an individual’s objective optimal strategy, which balances the benefits of improved recall against the costs of reduced rewards. The researchers employed an experimental task with 88 participants (44 younger adults, mean age 23.8; 44 older adults, mean age 72.8). Participants performed a prospective memory task involving dragging numbered circles to specific locations. They could either rely on internal memory for maximum points or use external reminders (by positioning circles early) for reduced points. The design included forced trials to establish baseline memory accuracy and free-choice trials where participants selected between strategies based on varying reward values. This allowed the calculation of an "Optimal Indifference Point" (OIP), representing the reward value at which a rational actor would be indifferent between strategies, and an "Actual Indifference Point" (AIP), reflecting participants' actual choices. The difference between these points indicated a pro-reminder or anti-reminder bias. The results showed that older adults had significantly poorer unaided memory performance than younger adults. Consequently, older adults used more reminders in absolute terms. However, when compared to their individual optimal strategies, older adults exhibited a reduced pro-reminder bias. Younger adults displayed a significant pro-reminder bias, overestimating the benefit of reminders and using them more than was objectively optimal. In contrast, older adults underestimated the benefit of reminders, using them less than their poor memory performance would suggest was optimal. Thus, while older adults relied more on external aids in absolute numbers, their usage was more conservative relative to their actual needs compared to younger adults. These findings suggest that aging is associated with a reduced preference for external memory support relative to objective need, potentially driven by metacognitive processes. Older adults may be overconfident in their prospective memory abilities or undervalue the utility of reminders. The study implies that interventions targeting metacognitive monitoring could improve the optimal use of cognitive tools in older adults, helping them better compensate for age-related memory declines. This highlights the importance of distinguishing between absolute strategy use and bias relative to optimal decision-making when evaluating cognitive aging.

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• prospective memory interruptions