Metacognitive phenomena during human–Internet interactions

Manuscript
Published: Dec 31, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/psy_hps.36228
Keywords:
Internet metacognition metacognitive judgments memory transactive memory systems cognitive offloading
Eleni Sidiropoulou
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8068-1090
Panayiota Metallidou
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3747-1239
Abstract

External information systems often serve as an extended cognitive system and are usually conceived as expansions of the capacity of human cognition. However, the boundaries between our own mind and a powerful cloud mind, like the Internet, are increasingly blurry. This paper discusses recent empirical evidence of various metacognitive phenomena taking place while searching for information on the Internet, against the backdrop of the theory of transactive memory systems and the theory of cognitive offloading. The discussion focuses on the ways our cognitive systems maneuver and adapt their responses to the medium of the Internet by examining its effects on the metacognitive evaluations of oneself as a knower, the novel metacognitive experience of the feeling of findability, and how our metamemory judgments are affected. The conclusion proposes directions for future research and a better understanding of our interaction with the Internet.

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