Psychology Lab Report Topics

We see every semester that the strongest psychology lab reports start with focused, testable ideas that fit real-class constraints, ethics, and quick data collection. We come to you as TopicSuggestions, a small team of academic researchers who teach, supervise labs, and grade these projects, so we know the sweet spot between interesting and doable. We set a clear goal for this post: we share a fresh, student-friendly set of lab report topics you can run within a semester without special equipment or complex approvals.

Good Lab Report Topic Ideas on Psychology

We map the list by core subfields (cognitive, social, developmental, health/clinical, and methods), and we tag each idea with a crisp research question, suggested IVs/DVs, easy measures, sample tips, and feasibility notes. We keep it conversational and practical so you can pick a topic today and start sketching your method. We now move to the list.

1. Algorithmic Co-Leadership: Governing AI Copilots in Principal Decision Cycles

– How do we delineate decision rights between principals and AI copilots across tasks like scheduling, observation feedback, and resource allocation without diluting professional judgment?
– How do we design accountability protocols so we can trace, audit, and rectify AI-influenced decisions when harms occur?
– To what extent do we reduce inequities when we tune AI copilots with school-specific justice constraints, and what trade-offs do we accept?

2. Tokenless DAOs for School Governance: Prototyping Decentralized Committees Without Cryptocurrency

– How do we architect tokenless DAO tools so we can run site council decisions transparently while complying with public records and accessibility laws?
– When we shift from Robert’s Rules to smart-contract workflows, how do we safeguard teacher voice and prevent participation fatigue?
– Can we demonstrate improved decision legitimacy when we weight votes through deliberation credentials we co-design with stakeholders?

3. Climate Sprint Leadership: Orchestrating 10-Day Curriculum Pivots During Extreme Weather Disruptions

– How do we lead rapid cross-grade curriculum sprints so we can maintain continuity of learning during wildfire smoke or heat closures?
– When we reassign leadership roles to sprint masters and product owners, how do we protect teacher wellbeing and workload boundaries?
– To what extent do we recover achievement trajectories when we deploy sprint retrospectives and just-in-time assessments at scale?

4. Fairness-by-Design Timetabling: Training Principals to Negotiate Multi-Objective Schedules

– How do we embed equity constraints we co-create with communities into timetabling algorithms without exploding complexity or opacity?
– When we publish explanation artifacts, how do we help families contest schedule outcomes we believe are fair yet feel unfair locally?
– Can we build principal capacity so we balance teacher preference, student need, and facility limits while minimizing opportunity hoarding?

5. Biofeedback-Informed Leadership Coaching: Using Wearables and Voice Analytics to Improve Decisions

– How do we implement privacy-preserving pipelines so we can use heart-rate variability and prosody data ethically in coaching cycles?
– When we act on stress signatures in real time, do we measurably reduce conflict escalation and bias in discipline decisions we make?
– To what extent do we transfer biofeedback gains from coaching sessions to high-stakes meetings we lead under pressure?

6. Principals as Credential Brokers: Building Place-Based Micro-Credential Ecosystems with Local Partners

– How do we co-govern micro-credentials with unions, industry, and community groups so we avoid credential inflation while boosting relevance?
– When we align micro-credentials to graduation pathways, how do we ensure students we serve in marginalized communities gain first access?
– Can we quantify long-term civic and labor-market returns when we, as leaders, reallocate PD budgets toward community-issued badges?

7. Student Data Cooperatives: Co-Ownership Models Led by Student Councils and Principals

– How do we design data trust charters so we can share analytics value with students while meeting FERPA and state privacy mandates?
– When we seat students on data governance boards, how do we shift power in ways we can sustain beyond symbolic participation?
– To what extent do learning analytics become more accurate and fair when we let students set data-use preferences we honor in systems?

8. Esports Guild Leadership in Schools: Translating Digital Clan Governance into Student Leadership Programs

– How do we legitimize esports guild governance as a leadership laboratory we can align with SEL and instructional goals?
– When we mentor student guild leaders, how do we prevent exclusionary practices we see in competitive gaming cultures?
– Can we document transfer of leadership skills from esports guild contexts into classroom group work and extracurricular governance we oversee?

9. School Leadership Digital Twins: Agent-Based Simulations for Pre-Briefing and After-Action Learning

– How do we co-create high-fidelity digital twins of schools so we can rehearse discipline policy changes, boundary shifts, or crises safely?
– When we compare leaders we train with digital-twin scenarios to those we do not, do we see improved implementation fidelity and equity?
– To what extent can we detect and correct latent biases in our policies by iterating them through simulated stakeholder agents we calibrate?

10. Federated Equity Analytics: Cross-District Leadership of Privacy-Preserving Benchmarking

– How do we establish federated learning consortia so we can benchmark equity metrics across districts without pooling raw student data?
– When we govern model updates jointly, how do we prevent performance drift that disadvantages small or rural schools we lead?
– Can we tie federated insights to concrete leadership actions we track, and do we observe measurable narrowing of opportunity gaps we target?

11. Olfactory cues in virtual meetings: Do subtle scent pairings change perceived trust and cooperation?

— Research questions: We ask whether congruent vs. incongruent ambient scents (delivered locally to participants) alter trust decisions, perceived rapport, and contribution equality in synchronous video-team tasks. Overview: We will run a within-subjects lab experiment with dyads in video tasks, randomize scent conditions (neutral, congruent social scent, incongruent scent), measure trust game choices, speech-turn-taking, and self-report rapport; analyze with mixed models and mediation tests.

12. Micro-interruptions and long-term working memory consolidation: How do sub-second attentional breaks affect retention?

— Research questions: We investigate whether very brief (200–800 ms) task-irrelevant interruptions during encoding differentially impair immediate recall vs. 24-hour consolidation. Overview: We will present lists with experimentally-timed micro-interruptions (visual or auditory), test immediate and delayed recall, record pupilometry and EEG (optional) to index attention lapses, and model interference effects on consolidation.

13. Trust calibration with AI-generated partner faces: Does subtle artificiality of a collaborator’s face change cooperative behavior?

— Research questions: We examine whether low-level face-artifact cues (unsmooth texture, micro-asymmetry) influence trust, information sharing, and detection of deception in collaborative tasks. Overview: We will use a between-subjects design comparing authentic photos, high-fidelity GAN faces, and subtly-manipulated faces across negotiation tasks; measure cooperation rates, confidence ratings, and eye-tracking on facial regions.

14. Roommate dietary norms and moral licensing: Do observed healthy choices by housemates reduce individual restraint?

— Research questions: We test whether witnessing frequent healthy eating by cohabitants leads to moral licensing and increased indulgence later, or whether it enforces social norm adherence. Overview: We will recruit real roommate pairs, use ecological momentary assessment to record observed meals and subsequent choices, and employ mixed-effects models to parse within- and between-person effects, plus brief experimental vignettes to triangulate causality.

15. Crossmodal associative training to induce temporary synesthetic-like learning: Can consistent audio–color pairings boost memory for paired stimuli?

— Research questions: We ask whether short-term repeated crossmodal pairing produces durable memory or attentional biases akin to synesthesia and whether individual imagery ability moderates effects. Overview: We will train participants on arbitrary audio–color pairings across sessions, test implicit/explicit memory, measure Stroop-like interference, and assess individual differences (VVIQ) as moderators.

16. Ambient urban soundscapes and implicit stereotype activation: Does exposure to different city noise profiles prime social judgments?

— Research questions: We probe whether soundscapes (traffic, market, park) shift implicit bias measures and split-second social categorization in forced-choice tasks. Overview: We will expose participants to randomized soundscape audio while they complete IAT variants and rapid trait-attribution tasks; analyze changes in reaction time and bias indices, controlling for neighborhood familiarity.

17. Gamified biofeedback for accelerated anxiety habituation: Can short daily play sessions reduce physiological reactivity faster than standard relaxation?

— Research questions: We compare a gamified heart-rate variability biofeedback app to textbook paced-breathing training on speed of habituation to social-evaluative stress. Overview: We will run a randomized controlled trial with baseline and repeated Trier-like stress tests, collect HRV and cortisol, and test time-to-habituation differences with survival-like models.

18. Targeted memory reactivation during sleep to reduce implicit bias: Does replaying counter-stereotypic audio during specific sleep stages reduce bias longer-term?

— Research questions: We evaluate whether presenting brief counter-stereotype cues during NREM2 vs. slow-wave sleep differentially affects IAT scores and behavioral choices after 1 week and 1 month. Overview: We will use home polysomnography-capable devices for targeted cueing, pre/post bias assessment, and longitudinal follow-up to assess retention and re-generalization.

19. Digital mirror exposure through avatars and self-concept recalibration: Can controlled avatar alterations change stable self-perceptions?

— Research questions: We investigate whether transient avatar manipulations (height, posture, clothing) in immersive VR alter body image, self-efficacy, and subsequent real-world behaviors over repeated sessions. Overview: We will use randomized avatar conditions in multi-session VR training, measure self-report, behavioral approach tasks, and persistence on challenging tasks to detect transfer to offline self-concept.

20. Prospective-memory enforcement of moral rules under cognitive load: Do brief reminders restore rule-following when busy?

— Research questions: We explore whether prospective-memory cues (visual tags, temporal alarms) improve adherence to moral or ethical guidelines (e.g., fairness rules) when participants perform demanding concurrent tasks. Overview: We will embed ethical decision opportunities within dual-task paradigms, manipulate presence and format of prospective cues, and analyze rule-following rates and response times with generalized linear mixed models.

21. Microtemporal effects of social-media notification tone on working memory in sleep-deprived individuals

We ask: 1) How do different notification tones (urgent vs. neutral vs. pleasant) affect short-term working-memory performance when presented during task intervals? 2) How does acute sleep restriction moderate those effects? 3) Which physiological markers (pupil dilation, heart-rate variability) track the immediate disruption and recovery?
We will run a within-subjects lab study where we induce a single night of partial sleep restriction in one session and normal sleep in another, present controlled notification tones during an n-back task, record behavioral accuracy/RT and autonomic measures, and analyze microtemporal performance dips with mixed-effects time-series models.

22. Implicit color-emotion conditioning via ambient lighting in open-plan office decisions

We ask: 1) Can ambient lighting color (warm red vs. cool blue vs. neutral) produce implicit conditioning of emotional valence that shifts risk preferences and creative choices? 2) How long do such conditioned effects persist after lighting returns to baseline?
We will implement a field experiment rotating lighting conditions across matched office zones, measure choice tasks (risk aversion, divergent thinking) and mood scales during and after exposure, and model within-participant changes and carryover effects.

23. Crossmodal anchoring: how background olfactory cues bias numeric estimation and magnitudes

We ask: 1) Do specific scents (citrus, vanilla, smoky) act as anchors for unrelated numeric estimates? 2) Are anchoring effects modulated by scent familiarity and individual olfactory sensitivity?
We will present incidental scents during a standard anchoring paradigm (high vs. low numeric anchors) and collect estimate deviations, olfactory threshold scores, and cultural familiarity ratings, then test interaction effects with hierarchical regression.

24. Time-perception distortion from intermittent haptic feedback during VR wayfinding

We ask: 1) Does the frequency and regularity of haptic pulsing during virtual navigation distort subjective duration estimates? 2) Do those distortions affect route choices and learning of spatial layouts?
We will conduct VR navigation trials manipulating haptic feedback schedules, collect retrospective and prospective time estimates, path choices, and retention of spatial maps, and analyze whether temporal distortions mediate navigation behavior.

25. Role of micro-commitments (10-minute pledges) in reducing academic procrastination

We ask: 1) Do daily micro-commitments to short task segments reduce overall procrastination and increase task initiation? 2) What motivational and metacognitive mechanisms (self-efficacy, implementation intentions) mediate the effect?
We will run a multi-week randomized field intervention with students allocating to micro-commitment prompts, active control, and no-intervention groups, collect time-stamped work logs, self-report procrastination scales, and mediation analyses of mechanism variables.

26. Effects of binaural-beat phase offset on divergent creative thinking and EEG markers

We ask: 1) Do specific binaural-beat phase offsets (in-phase vs. anti-phase) at the same frequency differentially affect divergent thinking performance? 2) Are any behavioral changes accompanied by measurable EEG coherence or power shifts?
We will conduct a double-blind within-subjects study exposing participants to controlled binaural-beat conditions, administer alternative uses tasks, and record EEG to test correlations between neural entrainment patterns and creative output.

27. Social-identity complexity as a buffer against misinformation in mixed-identity online groups

We ask: 1) Does higher social-identity complexity (holding multiple, overlapping identities) reduce susceptibility to identity-congruent misinformation? 2) Does group composition (homogeneous vs. mixed-identity) moderate corrective feedback efficacy?
We will simulate online discussion forums with manipulated group identity cues, expose participants to seeded misinformation, provide corrective interventions, and measure belief updating, sharing intentions, and identity-complexity interactions using Bayesian belief-updating models.

28. Cognitive-load signatures of multilingual code-switching during real-time problem solving

We ask: 1) Does voluntary vs. required code-switching impose distinct cognitive loads measurable via pupilometry and response time during math or logic puzzles? 2) Do proficiency asymmetries predict the cost/benefit trade-off in problem accuracy?
We will recruit bilinguals to perform timed problem-solving tasks under instructed switching vs. free-switch conditions, record pupil dilation and RT, and analyze how switching patterns and proficiency predict cognitive load and performance.

29. Perceived agency of adaptive algorithms and consumer trust in mobile health advisories

We ask: 1) How does framing an mHealth app as having autonomous learning vs. human-supervised adaptation change trust, perceived responsibility, and intended adherence? 2) Does transparency about model uncertainty moderate these effects?
We will present experimentally varied app descriptions to participants, simulate personalized advisory messages, measure trust, perceived agency, and adherence intentions, and use mediation models to examine the role of uncertainty disclosures.

30. Intermittent positive-feedback timing and implicit motor-sequence learning retention

We ask: 1) Does the temporal spacing of positive feedback (immediate, delayed fixed, delayed variable) during acquisition differentially affect implicit retention of motor sequences? 2) Are retention benefits mediated by changes in prediction-error signals (behavioral proxies or EEG)?
We will run a motor-sequence learning paradigm with randomized feedback-timing schedules, test retention after intervals (24 hours, one week), record error patterns and optional EEG correlates, and model how feedback timing predicts long-term implicit learning.

31. Haptic rhythm and moral decision-making under cognitive load

We propose to test whether patterned haptic feedback (varying rhythm and intensity) delivered through a wearable alters utilitarian versus deontological choices when participants are cognitively taxed. Research questions: Does synchronous versus asynchronous haptic rhythm shift moral judgments? Does increased haptic complexity interact with working memory load to change decision latency and choice? We outline a within-subjects lab task with trolley-type vignettes, dual-task n-back to manipulate load, controlled haptic patterns via wristband, and mixed-effects logistic regression of choices and RTs.

32. Micro-rest music tempo and attentional recovery in sustained attention tasks

We investigate whether brief (5–15 s) micro-rests containing instrumental music at different tempi improve subsequent sustained attention compared with silence or white noise. Research questions: Which tempo range most effectively restores vigilance after prolonged tasks? Do individual differences in baseline arousal moderate the effect? We recommend a continuous performance task with randomized micro-rest conditions, pupillometry and subjective fatigue ratings, and ANOVA/GAM models to detect tempo-response curves.

33. Spatial metaphors in augmented reality and abstract concept learning

We test whether mapping abstract concepts (e.g., justice, trust) to vertical or horizontal spatial cues in AR enhances retention and transfer compared with verbal-only instruction. Research questions: Does congruency between cultural spatial metaphors and AR mappings influence learning outcomes? Are embodied interactions (reaching upward/downward) necessary for the effect? We plan an AR learning module with counterbalanced spatial mappings, immediate/delayed tests, and mediation analysis of embodiment measures.

34. Interpersonal odor synchrony and group trust formation

We assess whether subtle alignment of ambient odor profiles across participants (scent synchrony) accelerates trust and cooperation in newly formed groups. Research questions: Can synchronized olfactory cues produce effects comparable to synchronized movement on trust? Does awareness of scent reduce or enhance the effect? We propose group economic games, controlled micro-diffusers to manipulate scent synchrony, measures of implicit bias and trust, and multilevel modeling of group outcomes.

35. Autonomous vehicle voice persona and passenger stress during unexpected maneuvers

We evaluate how different synthesized voice personas (calm/empathetic vs. neutral/informative) in autonomous vehicles modulate passenger physiological stress and perceived safety during sudden braking or evasive maneuvers. Research questions: Which vocal features reduce cortisol and heart-rate responses best? Does prior exposure to the persona moderate effects? We recommend a driving simulator with standardized maneuvers, randomized voice conditions, continuous ECG and salivary cortisol, and repeated-measures analysis.

36. Virtual crowd density illusions and social conformity to risky choices

We explore whether perceived crowd density manipulated via VR visual and auditory cues changes willingness to engage in risky behaviors (e.g., standing near an edge, taking a shortcut). Research questions: Does virtual crowding increase conformity to apparent majority risky choices? Do personal space sensitivities moderate the effect? We plan immersive VR scenarios with behavioral choice outcomes, pre-screen measures of social conformity, and logistic regression including individual differences.

37. Temporal framing of digital feedback and long-term habit formation

We examine whether feedback framed in near-term versus long-term temporal language (e.g., “today’s progress” vs. “yearly trajectory”) differentially supports habit maintenance for health behaviors tracked by apps. Research questions: Does long-term framing improve adherence for abstract goals but reduce immediate motivation? How does feedback frequency interact with framing? We propose an RCT with habit-tracking app, ecological momentary assessments, time-series adherence modeling, and survival analysis for dropout.

38. Cross-modal prediction errors between taste and texture in food choice satisfaction

We investigate how violating expected taste-texture pairings (e.g., creamy appearance with crunchy texture) affects immediate satisfaction and future choice behavior. Research questions: Are prediction errors more aversive when expectations are violated in one modality versus another? Do cultural food schemas moderate responses? We recommend controlled tasting sessions with manipulated pairings, continuous hedonic ratings, and hierarchical Bayesian models of choice updates.

39. Conversational repair cues and perceived credibility in AI-human dialogues

We test whether different repair strategies (explicit apology, brief correction, humor) used by conversational agents after errors influence user perceptions of credibility and willingness to follow recommendations. Research questions: Which repair cue best restores trust after high-stakes versus low-stakes errors? Does prior anthropomorphism of the agent change outcomes? We suggest laboratory chat interactions with scripted errors, multi-item trust scales, behavioral follow-through measures, and mixed ANOVA with stakes and repair type.

40. Sleep-inertia mitigation via olfactory priming timed to circadian phase

We explore whether brief exposure to targeted odorants immediately upon waking reduces sleep inertia differently depending on circadian phase (e.g., early-morning vs. post-nap). Research questions: Which odor profiles accelerate cognitive recovery after sleep onset? Is effectiveness moderated by chronotype? We propose crossover designs with standardized naps or nocturnal awakenings, cognitive battery post-wake, controlled odor delivery, and linear mixed models testing odor × circadian phase interactions.

41. Micro-restoration Interventions: Cognitive восстановления after 30-second Nature Breaks

We propose studying whether ultra-brief (≤30s) micro-restorative exposures to natural stimuli restore attention and reduce cognitive fatigue.
We ask: 1) Do 15–30 second visual or auditory nature clips measurably improve performance on sustained attention tasks compared with urban clips or blank screen? 2) Does prior stress level moderate the restoration effect? 3) How long do any benefits persist?
We outline a within-subjects lab design where we induce mild cognitive fatigue (e.g., 20-min continuous performance task), then deliver randomized 15s/30s nature, urban, or silence breaks, and immediately reassess attention, subjective fatigue, and pupil-linked arousal; we plan to analyze time-course and interaction with baseline stress.

42. Cross-modal Metacognitive Calibration in Multisensory Learning

We propose examining how learners calibrate confidence across senses when learning multisensory associations (e.g., sound-shape pairs).
We ask: 1) Do participants develop accurate metacognitive judgments about which modality drove correct recall? 2) Does cross-modal congruence improve or bias metacognitive accuracy? 3) Can brief feedback training improve cross-modal metacognitive calibration?
We will run an associative learning task pairing sounds and shapes, collect trial-level confidence for item and modality attribution, manipulate congruence and feedback, and compute metacognitive sensitivity (meta-d’) separately for modality judgements to test calibration and transfer.

43. Social Media FOMO as a Situational Cue for Prospective Memory Failure

We propose testing whether induced Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) affects prospective memory (PM) for intentions in the short term.
We ask: 1) Does acute FOMO induction (simulated social feed showing exclusion-related content) reduce the execution of time- or event-based PM tasks? 2) Is the PM impairment mediated by attentional capture or rumination? 3) Does cue salience mitigate the FOMO effect?
We will create an experimental paradigm embedding PM tasks into a browsing simulation, manipulate FOMO content, measure real-time attention via eye-tracking and self-report rumination, and examine PM hits and reaction times under varying cue salience.

44. Embodied Numeracy: Haptic Finger Movements and Abstract Number Processing

We propose assessing whether specific finger movement patterns causally influence symbolic number comparison and mental arithmetic.
We ask: 1) Do congruent haptic gestures (e.g., tapping increasing finger sequence) speed number-line judgments or arithmetic? 2) Is the effect stronger in children or adults with math anxiety? 3) Do temporary disruption or facilitation of finger movements alter neural markers of numeracy?
We will use within-subject finger-movement manipulations during number comparison and calculation tasks, include groups differing in math anxiety, and optionally record EEG to probe time-locked changes in numerical processing.

45. Scent-Triggered Episodic Bias: Odor Cues and False Memory Formation

We propose exploring whether contextual odors presented during encoding increase susceptibility to associative false memories at retrieval.
We ask: 1) Do congruent or incongruent ambient scents during study change DRM-type false recall rates? 2) Does re-presenting the same scent at retrieval increase true recall or selectively revive false associates? 3) Is olfactory-induced bias moderated by individual differences in olfactory imagery?
We will administer list-learning paradigms with controlled odor presentations at encoding and/or retrieval, measure true vs. false recall/recognition, and collect olfactory imagery and familiarity scales to model moderation.

46. Micro-expressions of Gratitude: Predicting Cooperative Behavior in Economic Games

We propose testing whether ultra-brief facial micro-expressions of gratitude predict subsequent reciprocity beyond verbal reports.
We ask: 1) Can coded micro-expressions (≤500ms) following resource transfer forecast higher return transfers in trust games? 2) Do observers’ sensitivity to micro-expressions moderate trust repair? 3) Are physiological synchrony markers (e.g., heart rate coherence) aligned with perceived gratitude signals?
We will stage dyadic economic games with video capture, code micro-expressions with trained FACS coders and automated software, measure subsequent reciprocity, and record peripheral physiology to examine synchrony.

47. Temporal Self-Compression: How Shortened Future Horizons Alter Risk Perception

We propose investigating whether experimentally shrinking perceived future time horizons compress temporal discounting and change risk assessment for future events.
We ask: 1) Does induced short future horizon (via mortality salience or constrained planning prompts) increase risk tolerance for delayed outcomes? 2) Is temporal self-compression reflected in choices across social vs. personal domains? 3) Can perspective-taking manipulations reverse compression effects?
We will manipulate subjective time horizon, use intertemporal and risky choice tasks with personal and social framing, and model discounting parameters and risk weights across conditions.

48. Auditory Crowd Density Perception and Social Anxiety in Open-Plan Workspaces

We propose measuring whether perceived auditory crowd density (not actual occupancy) in open-plan environments predicts cognitive performance and social anxiety.
We ask: 1) Do manipulated ambient soundscapes that imply high vs. low crowding affect proofreading and creative tasks differentially? 2) Is the subjective perception of crowd density a stronger predictor of performance than objective noise level? 3) Can brief attentional interventions reduce crowd-induced performance decrements in socially anxious individuals?
We will simulate office soundscapes with spatialized audio, collect subjective crowd-density ratings, run cognitive tasks, screen for social anxiety, and test attentional reorientation training as an intervention.

49. Virtual Touch and Attachment: Haptic Feedback in Remote Consolation Scenarios

We propose testing whether mediated haptic feedback (wearable pulses or squeezes) enhances attachment behaviors and perceived comfort during remote consoling interactions.
We ask: 1) Does synchronous haptic feedback during supportive messaging increase perceived empathy and bonding compared with text-only support? 2) Is the effect moderated by attachment style and prior relationship closeness? 3) How durable are haptic-induced changes in perceived social support?
We will run dyadic remote-support tasks where one participant receives haptic pulses synchronized with the sender’s actions, measure immediate empathy and bonding scales, and include follow-up measures to assess persistence.

50. Cognitive Offloading Trade-offs in Multitasking with Smart Assistants

We propose examining how reliance on AI assistants for short-term memory tasks affects monitoring, error detection, and long-term encoding.
We ask: 1) Does offloading reminders to a smart assistant reduce memory monitoring and increase undetected omission errors when the assistant fails? 2) Does habitual offloading impair incidental long-term memory for offloaded content? 3) Can metacognitive prompts on the assistant mitigate negative trade-offs?
We will create lab simulations where participants delegate tasks to a virtual assistant with occasional failures, measure monitoring behaviors, commission/omission errors, and retention for offloaded vs. retained items, and test assistant-issued metacognitive nudges.