2013 02-11 - leeds lab

Adrian Ward

The third half of your brain:Transactive memory, the internet, and the self

“We want Google to

be the third half of

your brain.”

The Third Half of Your Brain

The Third Half of Your BrainTransactive Memory

We form “Transactive Memory Systems” with the people in our lives—a sense of shared

memory that is bigger than the sum of its parts.

We don’t only know what we know. We also know what our

friends and family know.

Transactive Memory

Natural Couples Impromptu Couples

Transactive Memory

Expertise:

Now, just for today, let’s assume that you (one

participant) are the expert in ______, and that you (the other participant) are the

expert in _____.

Please try to remember the items for which you are the

expert.

Transactive Memory

Memory Task:

“Midori is a Japanesemelon liqueur”

“Luke and Laura got marriedon ‘General Hospital.’”

“Yeasts reproduce by budding.”

Transactive Memory

Impromptu NaturalCouple

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

Assigned Expertise No Assignment

Transactive Memory

Overlapping Memories Non-overlapping Memories

0

5

10

15

20

25

Natural Couples – Memory Type

Transactive Memory

Transactive Memory

Memory structures are

social structures

Transactive Memory

Memory structures are

social structures

Transactive Memory

Transactive Memory

Transactive Memory

Transactive Memory

Transactive Memory

Transactive Memory

Transactive Memory

Transactive Memory and the ‘NetTransactive Memory

The internet is becoming saturated with information.

Transactive Memory and the ‘Net


Participants typed 40 trivia statements

into a computer.

They were told that this information would either be saved or erased.

Remember0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

% of items correctly re-membered

Saved Erased

Will people remember

information if they believe they

can access it online later?


Sparrow, Liu,& Wegner (2011)

Hard 818 614500

600

700

800

RT after being asked hard trivia questions

Search Engine WordsBrand Names

Participants answered either

hard or easy trivia questions, then

performed a modified Stroop

task.

When we are asked difficult questions, we automatically think of the

internet.

REDGOOGLEGREEN


We don’t remember things as well when we know they are being saved

digitally—but do we tend to look online for this

info?

Sparrow, Liu,& Wegner (2011)


a transactive memory partnerthe third of half of your brain

Transactive Memory and the ‘NetBut Hold On!

There’s a difference between the internet being…

But Hold On!Transactive Memory and the ‘Net


But Hold On!Google Effects on CSE

If people fail to differentiate between info

stored online and info stored in their own

memories, then they should feel responsible for

performance based on online info.

The Cognitive Self-Esteem Scale

In order to test whether people attribute the internet’s intelligence to themselves,

we developed a new measure:

n=61

Google Effects on CSE


Participants answered 10 trivia questions and were

either:

(1)Given no specific instructions

(2)Instructed not to use Google

(3)Instructed to use Google** * = p < .05

Control No Google Google5

5.1

5.2

5.3

5.4

5.5

5.6

5.7

CSE Scores After Completing Trivia Quiz

F(2,384) = 3.52p = .03


Rosen

berg

PANAS_

Pos

PANAS_

Neg

PASC

I_Ph

ys

PASC

I_So

c

PASC

I_Mat

h

PASC

I_Ver

bal

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Results – Other Potentially Related Scales

ControlNo GoogleGoogle


Alternative explanation: Performance-related feedback

Participants took a trivia quiz either:

(1) Without Google(2) Without Google, but receiving False

Feedback(3) With Google

**** ** = p < .01

F(2,151) = 7.19p = .001

No Google False Feedback Google4

4.2

4.4

4.6

4.8

5

5.2

5.4

5.6

5.8

6

CSE Scores After Completing Trivia Quiz


So what does cause this effect?

Possibility: combination of a “feeling of knowing” (e.g., Nelson & Narens, 1980) and the “knew it all

along” effect (e.g., Fischhoff & Beyth, 1975)

We think we know the answer—and Google “confirms” our knowledge

before we can realize that we never actually knew

No Google Slow Google

Google4.6

4.8

5

5.2

5.4

5.6

5.8

6

“Slow Google” Study


No Goo

gle

Googl

e, W

rite

Answer

Firs

t

Googl

e4.6

4.8

5

5.2

5.4

5.6

5.8

6

“Write Answers” Study

F(2,115) = 6.62, p = .002 F(2,130) = 6.56, p = .002

One way to interfere with the “feeling of knowing” is to modify

the speed of Google

Easy Medium Hard4.6

4.8

5

5.2

5.4

5.6

5.8

6

No GoogleGoogle


Finteraction(2,353) = 3.00, p = .05

p = .013 nsns

Another way to interfere with the “feeling of knowing” is to modify

the difficulty of the questions.


Boosts in CSE provide evidence that we think of Google as a part

of the self,but there are better measures out

there…Predictions of future performance;Chance, Norton, Gino, Ariely (2011)

You will now be asked to take a second trivia quiz.

This quiz will be similar in difficulty and content to the quiz you just took.

You will be unable to use any outside sources for help.

Before you begin the second quiz, please take your best guess as to how many

questions (out of 10 total) you think you will answer correctly.

No Google Slow Google

Google3

3.5

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

“Slow Google” Study

No Google Write Answers

Google3

3.5

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

“Write Answers” Study


F(2,115) = 5.27, p = .006 F(2,130) = 6.14, p = .003


When we use Google, we fail to realize we are using an external

source. We treat Google as a part of our own brains.

The Inclusion of Other in the Self scale (IOS); Aron, Aron, &

Smollan, 1992

What other measures might tap into the extent to which we see

Google as a part of the self?

Google Effects on CSEYou Google

You Google

You Google

You Google

You Google

You Google

You Google

When we are close to something or someone, we often think of it (or he,

or she) as being a part of who we are. This often happens with friends and

family members, and even with things we use often - such as our computers, or even our favorite

clothing.


Slow: No Google Write Answers: No Google

Slow: Google Write Answers: Google

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

IOS Means

You Google

Obam

a

Relat

ives TV

Cell P

hone

Favo

rite

Mov

ie

Cousin

sGod

Favo

rite

Book

Compu

ter

Sibl

ings

Googl

e

Best F

riend

Pare

nts

Spou

se0

1

2

3

4

5

6

IOS Means – Comparison Items


How does our relationship with Google compare to our

relationships with other sources of info?

Google Effects on CSESummary

(1) Our minds work like card catalogs—we keep track of who knows what

(2) Google knows practically everything

(3) We incorporate Google into our card catalogs—perhaps to the exclusion of human memory partners

(4) We may fail to draw a distinction between Google’s knowledge and our own

(5) Google may be “the third half” of our brains

SummaryOther Stuff

(1) Data Bank Study

Other Stuff

(1) Data Bank Study

(2) Google as Internet

Other Stuff

(1) Data Bank Study

(2) Google as Internet (Use)

Googl

e

Face

book

Yaho

o

YouT

ube

Yaho

o Mai

l

Yaho

o Se

arch

msn

Bing

Gmai

lAOL

0

500,000,000

1,000,000,000

1,500,000,000

2,000,000,000

2,500,000,000

3,000,000,000

3,500,000,000

Visits Per Week (Experian)

Other Stuff

(1) Data Bank Study

(2) Google as Internet (Explicit)

Google Facebook Amazon Reddit Yahoo ESPN0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

Percent of Users Who Listed Each Site as First Associate

Google FacebookAmazon Reddit Yahoo ESPN0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

Percent of Users Who Listed Each Site as First Associate

(with comparison data)

Our Sample

Comparison (Nelson & McEvoy, 2000)

Other Stuff

(1) Data Bank Study

(2) Google as Internet (Explicit)

Other Stuff

(1) Data Bank Study

(2) Google as Internet

(3) Ongoing Studies(1) Google-as-internet LDT (Implicit)(2) Source Confusion(3) Positive/Negative Effects

(Thanks)

Education

2013 02-11 - leeds lab