Modern technical tools such as tablets allow for the temporal externalization of working memory processes (i.e. cognitive offloading). Although such externalizations support immediate performance on different tasks, little is known about potential long-term consequences of offloading behavior. In the current set of experiments, we studied the relationship between cognitive offloading and subsequent memory for the offloaded information as well as the interplay of this relationship with the goal to acquire new memory representations. Our participants solved the Pattern Copy Task, in which we manipulated the costs of cognitive offloading and the awareness of a subsequent memory test. In Experiment 1 (N = 172), we showed that increasing the costs for offloading induces reduced offloading behavior. This reduction in offloading came along with lower immediate task performance but more accurate memory in an unexpected test. In Experiment 2 (N = 172), we confirmed these findings and observed that offloading behavior remained detrimental for subsequent memory performance when participants were aware of the upcoming memory test. Interestingly, Experiment 3 (N = 172) showed that cognitive offloading is not detrimental for long-term memory formation under all circumstances. Those participants who were forced to offload maximally but were aware of the memory test could almost completely counteract the negative impact of offloading on memory. Our experiments highlight the importance of the explicit goal to acquire new memory representations when relying on technical tools as offloading did have detrimental effects on memory without such a goal.

平板电脑等现代技术工具允许工作记忆过程的时间外化（即认知卸载）。尽管这种外部化支持不同任务的即时性能，但对卸载行为的潜在长期后果知之甚少。在当前的一组实验中，我们研究了认知卸载与卸载信息的后续记忆之间的关系，以及这种关系与获得新记忆表征目标的相互作用。我们的参与者解决了模式复制任务，在其中我们操纵了认知卸载的成本和对后续记忆测试的意识。在实验 1（N = 172）中，我们表明增加卸载成本会导致卸载行为减少。这种卸载的减少伴随着较低的即时任务性能但在意外测试中更准确的内存。在实验 2（N = 172）中，我们证实了这些发现，并观察到当参与者意识到即将进行的记忆测试时，卸载行为对随后的记忆表现仍然有害。有趣的是，实验 3（N = 172）表明，在所有情况下，认知卸载都不会对长期记忆的形成有害。那些被迫最大限度地卸载但知道记忆测试的参与者几乎可以完全抵消卸载对记忆的负面影响。我们的实验强调了在依赖技术工具时获得新记忆表征的明确目标的重要性，因为在没有这样一个目标的情况下，卸载确实会对记忆产生不利影响。