Individuals show a systematic positive reminder bias, setting more reminders than optimal¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Across studies using the optimal reminders paradigm, individuals set reminders on more trials than would be optimal given their own measured accuracy. → Gilbert 2023 q2 i? Individual differences in reminder bias are stable over time, and participants with poorer memory set reminders on more trials. → Gilbert 2023 (2)

Evidence¶

Gilbert 2023¶

Gilbert, S. J., Boldt, A., Sachdeva, C., Scarampi, C., & Tsai, P.-C. (2023). Outsourcing Memory to External Tools: A Review of 'Intention Offloading'. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-022-02139-4

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review synthesises multiple studies (Ball et al., 2022; Engeler & Gilbert, 2020; Gilbert et al., 2020; Kirk et al., 2021; Sachdeva & Gilbert, 2020) using the optimal reminders paradigm, where the optimal strategy is individually tailored to each participant's forced-trial accuracy. No effect size is printed.

"Studies using this paradigm have consistently found evidence for a systematic bias: Individuals tend to set reminders on a greater number of trials (and, equivalently, use internal memory on a smaller number of trials) than would be optimal"

Gilbert 2023 (2)¶

Gilbert, S. J., Boldt, A., Sachdeva, C., Scarampi, C., & Tsai, P.-C. (2023). Outsourcing Memory to External Tools: A Review of 'Intention Offloading'. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-022-02139-4

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review attributes stability of the bias to Gilbert et al. (2020, Experiment 1) and the ability-reminder relation to the same study. No effect sizes are printed.

"Individual differences in this bias are stable over time (Gilbert et al., 2020, Experiment 1). Results also show that participants with poorer memory ability tend to set reminders on a greater number of trials than those with better memory ability"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Older adults show reduced reminder bias relative to objective need despite setting more reminders — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• External reminders dramatically reduce forgetting of delayed intentions — related
• Individuals systematically overuse reminders relative to the optimal offloading level, and reminder bias correlates with confidence and metacognitive bias — related
• In Experiment 1, a five-trial metacognitive prediction-plus-feedback intervention significantly reduced reminder bias, producing more optimal reminder-setting behaviour — related
• In Experiment 1, participants in both groups were significantly biased towards excessive reminder use relative to the optimal strategy — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Feedback interventions show phase-specific effects: advice feedback reduces reminder bias, but ranking feedback alters beliefs without increasing offloading — related
• Effort avoidance contributes to reminder overuse beyond metacognitive error — related
• In Experiment 1, lower confidence predicted greater offloading beyond objective performance in the no-feedback group, but not in the feedback group — related
• The more underconfident participants are about their memory abilities, the larger their reminder bias, regardless of framing — related