Prospective Memory Changes

Question 1

What is prospective memory?

Answer 1

Ability to remember to perform an intended action in the future
Occurs whilst the person is engaged in another activity or cognitive effort when remembering is required

Question 2

What are the two types of prospective memory?

Answer 2

Time cued - perform at particular time eg. Call friend in 30 mins
Event-cued - perform when particular event occurs eg. Call friend when the bachelor starts on tv
Event cued less effortful because relies on external cues not self-initiated response as in time cued

Question 3

What changes occur in time cued PM?

Answer 3

Naturalistic research - stability and decline
Experimental research - decline
OA performed worse than YA on time cued tasks esp. when working memory task also being performed
OA clock checked less than YA in experiments but not cause because performed worse when time monitoring
Change could be result of decreased working memory capacity and slower speed of processing

Question 4

What changes occur in event cued PM?

Answer 4

Discrepancies in research - decline and no change
Differences found when event cued tasks require switching or dividing attention
This ability declines with age
Event cued PM could remain stable with age and only show a decline when selective attention is required because of that decreased ability