Interface and interaction design: How mobile touch devices foster cognitive offloading
Abstract
Abstract A central feature of modern technologies such as smartphones or tablets is that they allow for the externalization of working memory processes (i.e. cognitive offloading). Such externalizations enable their users to perform beyond the limitations of internal cognitive processing. In this experimental study (N = 172), we investigated two determinants of participants' decision to offload working memory processes when using mobile devices. These determinants, interface design (i.e. responsivity in terms of temporal delay) and interaction design (touch-based vs. mouse-based control) of the involved mobile devices altered offloading behavior in a Pattern Copy Task. We observed that participants performing the task with a highly responsive device (i.e. no delay when accessing relevant information) offloaded more working memory processes than participants handling the same device at a lower responsivity (i.e. temporal delay). Further, participants using the device's touch function also offloaded more working memory processes than participants using a computer mouse. These findings were further supported by subjective measures about the easiness, naturalness, and intuitivity when using the device. Thus, our study showed that both interface and interaction design influence metacognitive evaluations of the use of mobile devices and offloading behavior.
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Increasing access costs by adding temporal delays for each inspection of the model window shifts behaviour from offloading strategies to more memory-based strategies; thus, higher temporal costs reduce offloading behaviour.
“the work of Fu and Gray (2000; see also Gray et al., 2006; Grinschgl, Meyerhoff, & Papenmeier, 2020; Patrick et al., 2015; Waldron et al., 2011) has shown that increasing access costs by adding temporal delays for each inspection of the model window results in a shift from offloading strategies to more memory-based strategies. Thus, higher temporal costs reduce offloading behaviour.”
From Consequences of cognitive offloading: Boosting performance but diminishing memory (2021) · cites this paper as Grinschgl, Meyerhoff, & Papenmeier, 2020
People offload more when using a touch interface rather than mouse controls.
“A related study revealed that people offload more when using a touch interface rather than mouse controls (Grinschgl et al., 2020).”
From The Cognitive Architecture of Digital Externalization (2023) · cites this paper as Grinschgl et al., 2020
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Jadhav, A. (2025) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/8yr92_v2 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Impact of Intrinsic Cognitive Skills and Metacognitive Beliefs on Tool Use Performance
Osiurak, F., Reynaud, E., & Navarro, J. (2022) · The American Journal of Psychology · doi:10.5406/19398298.135.1.05
INTERNET TV NAVIGATION MODEL FOR THE ELDERLY BASED ON PERSUASIVE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
Vadivalu, K., & Singh, D. (2023) · Journal of Information System and Technology Management · doi:10.35631/jistm.831007
Exploring the Impact of Age Differences on Interface Design Features
Wang, Z., & Ouyang, W. (2024) · International Conference on Intelligent Computing and Human-Computer Interaction (ICHCI) · doi:10.1109/ichci63580.2024.10808038
‘I wish there was a f*** it app’: creative strategies of digital un-use in family settings
Sadowski, H., Eklund, L., & Normark, M. (2025) · Behaviour and Information Technology · doi:10.1080/0144929x.2025.2517220
“…design sensitivities we list here are more about un-design (Pierce 2012) and how we can take away some of the efforts that families often experience when it comes to managing their family lives with the help of ICTs, also known as cognitive offloading (Grinschgl, Meyerhoff, and Papenmeier 2020).”
Hahn, L., Glöckner, A., Gollwitzer, M., Hellmann, J. H., Lange, J., Schindler, S., & Sassenberg, K. (2025) · Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/25152459251357568
Fang, J., Li, Y.-F., Li, J., & Li, Y. (2025) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2025.2598868
“Finally, unexplored moderators—such as interface design (Grinschgl et al., 2020) and task types (Lv et al., 2022)—merit investigation to refine context-specific guidelines for AI cuteness implementation.”
Peng, N., Tao, Y., Du, X., & Xue, C. (2025) · Interacting with Computers · doi:10.1093/iwc/iwaf053
Skorupska, K., Omelan, T., Hamerlik, A., et al. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3791459
Humans do not “play fair” with social robots: Unequal task sharing in an attentional task
Wahn, B., Bawari, K., & Wiese, E. (2026) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107139
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“From a design perspective, these findings translate into interaction requirements that prioritize temporal coordination, cognitive offloading, and user control [38].”
How Do Parents Choose Children’s Telemedicine? A Hybrid Model from the Integrated DOI-ECM Framework
Luo, S., Zhang, X., & Zhou, Y. (2026) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2026.2701596
Sun, Z., Wu, Y., Xu, L., Hu, T., Xu, F., & Li, H. (2026) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2026.2714689
Xiang, G., & Hu, C. (2026) · Tourism Management Perspectives · doi:10.1016/j.tmp.2026.101539
Internal memory costs following cognitive offloading in younger and older adults
Shenhav, N., & Magen, H. (2026) · Memory · doi:10.1080/09658211.2026.2742966
- Authors
- Grinschgl, S., Meyerhoff, H. S., & Papenmeier, F.
- Affiliations
- University of Tübingen (DE)
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Grinschgl, Sandra
- Venue
- Computers in Human Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-07
- Volume
- 108
- Pages
- 106317
- ISSN
- 0747-5632 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3009686572
- Semantic Scholar
- aee6a2fe91e98bd7e884a4829ad0da97e7eccc26
- Cited by
- 61
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 4
- FWCI
- 4.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Computers in Human Behavior (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Leibniz-Gemeinschaft
- Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Interactive and Immersive Displays
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Usability and User Interface Design
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Human-Automation Interaction and Safety
- Keywords
- cognitive offloading, working memory, interface design, interaction design, responsivity, time delay, metacognition, usability, smartphones, tablets
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