Prospective Memory : An Overview and Synthesis of an Emerging Field

by Mark A. McDaniel

• ISBN13: 9781412924696
• ISBN10: 1412924693
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-02-15
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc

Summary

While there are many books on retrospective memory, or remembering past events, Prospective Memory: An Overview and Synthesis of an Emerging Field is the first authored text to provide a straightforward and integrated foundation to the scientific study of memory for actions to be performed in the future. Authors Mark A. McDaniel and Gilles O. Einstein present an accessible overview and synthesis of the theoretical and empirical work in this emerging field. Key Features: Focuses on students rather than researchers: While there are many edited works on prospective memory, this is the first authored text written in an accessible style geared toward students. Provides a general approach for the controlled, laboratory study of prospective memory: The authors place issues and research on prospective memory within the context of general contemporary themes in psychology, such as the issue of the degree to which human behavior is mediated by controlled versus automatic processes. Investigates the cognitive processes that underlie prospective remembering: Examples are provided of event-based, time-based, and activity-based prospective memory tasks while subjects are engaged in ongoing activities to parallel day-to-day life. Suggests fruitful directions for further advancement: In addition to integrating what is now a fairly loosely connected theoretical and empirical field, this book goes beyond current work to encourage new theoretical insights. Intended Audience: This relatively brief book is an excellent supplemental text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses such as Memory, Human Memory, and Learning & Memory in the departments of psychology and cognitive science.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Prospective Memory: A New Research Enterprise	p. 1
What Is a Prospective Memory Task?	p. 4
Parameters of Prospective Memory Tasks	p. 5
Execution of the intended action is not immediate	p. 5
The prospective memory task is embedded in ongoing activity	p. 5
The window for response initiation is constrained	p. 7
The time frame for response execution is limited	p. 7
There must be an intention	p. 8
Another consideration	p. 9
Conclusions	p. 9
Scientific Study of Prospective Memory	p. 10
A Typical Paradigm	p. 11
Monitoring in Prospective Memory	p. 13
Attentional Monitoring	p. 14
Test-Wait-Test-Exit	p. 14
Factors Involved in Initiating Monitoring	p. 17
Preparatory Attentional Processes	p. 19
Increasing Attentional Demands of the Ongoing Activity	p. 20
The Cost of Adding a Prospective Memory Intention to the Ongoing Activity	p. 21
A Formal Measurement Model	p. 22
To Monitor or Not to Monitor: When Is the Question	p. 25
Strategic Allocation of Monitoring	p. 25
Prospective Memory Retrieval Mode	p. 27
Summary	p. 28
Spontaneous Retrieval in Prospective Remembering	p. 30
Costs of Prospective Memory: Always Present?	p. 32
Spontaneous Retrieval	p. 35
Spontaneous Retrieval as a Reflexive Associative Memory Process	p. 38
Spontaneous Noticing	p. 41
Familiarity	p. 41
Discrepancy Plus Attribution	p. 43
Exogenous Determinants of Noticing	p. 46
Summary	p. 48
Multiprocess Theory of Prospective Memory	p. 50
An Advantage of the Multiprocess Theory	p. 52
Multiprocess Theory	p. 53
Parameters of the Ongoing Task	p. 56
Ongoing Tasks and Focal Processing of the Target	p. 56
Focal Processing	p. 59
Ongoing-Task Absorption and Demands	p. 62
Parameters of Prospective Memory Cues	p. 65
Target Cue Distinctiveness	p. 65
Associativity of the Target Cue With the Intended Action	p. 65
Importance of the Prospective Memory Task	p. 67
Length of the Prospective Memory Retention Interval	p. 68
Individual Differences and Intra-individual Differences	p. 72
Working Memory	p. 73
Personality Variables	p. 74
Intra-individual Differences	p. 77
A Cautionary Methodological Note Concerning Research on Individual Differences	p. 79
Planning	p. 79
Summary	p. 80
Storage and Retention of Intended Actions	p. 83
Goschke and Kuhl's Paradigm	p. 84
Extending the Intention Superiority Effect?	p. 88
What Produces the Intention Superiority Effect?	p. 89
The ACT model	p. 89
A motor encoding interpretation of the intention superiority effect	p. 90
Summary and Future Directions	p. 93
Retention of Intended Actions Over Time: Immune to Forgetting?	p. 94
Retrieval of Intentions During the Retention Interval	p. 97
Effects of Retrieval in the Retention Interval	p. 101
Reminders During the Retention Interval	p. 105
Summary	p. 108
Planning and Encoding of Intentions	p. 109
Planning	p. 109
Implementation Intentions	p. 114
Theoretical Mechanisms Underlying Implementation Intentions	p. 117
Heightened accessibility	p. 117
Automatic intention triggering	p. 118
Efficient action initiation	p. 120
Individual Differences	p. 120
Summary	p. 121
Prospective Memory and Life Span Development	p. 123
Prospective Memory in Children	p. 123
Age 7 and Younger	p. 127
Summary	p. 129
Prospective Memory in Older Adults	p. 130
Semi-Naturalistic Prospective Memory Tasks	p. 131
Time-Based Prospective Memory Tasks	p. 131
Event-Based Prospective Memory Tasks	p. 142
Prospective memory difficulty and age differences	p. 157
The multiprocess theory and age differences	p. 158
Resource demands emerge as age-related costs to the ongoing activity	p. 160
Do It or Lose It: When Responding Is Delayed After Prospective Memory Retrieval	p. 162
Habitual Prospective Memory Tasks	p. 165
Prospective Memory Performance as a Possible Index of Risk for Dementia	p. 167
Summary and Observations	p. 169
Cognitive Neuroscience of Prospective Memory	p. 171
The Neuropsychology of Prospective Memory	p. 171
Case Studies	p. 171
Neuropsychological Assessment of Normal Aging	p. 175
A Provisional Neuropsychological Theory	p. 177
Neuroimaging and Prospective Memory	p. 179
Positron Emissions Tomography (PET)	p. 179
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)	p. 182
Event-Related Brain Potentials (ERPs)	p. 183
Summary and Future Directions	p. 189
Prospective Memory as It Applies to Work and Naturalistic Settings	p. 191
General Recommendations for Improving Prospective Memory	p. 194
Remove the Delay in Delayed Intentions: Do It or Lose It	p. 195
Use Good External Cues	p. 196
Anticipate the Triggering Cues: Use Implementation Intentions	p. 197
Beware of Busy and Demanding Conditions	p. 199
Beware of Interruptions	p. 200
Address the Special Problems of Habitual Prospective Memory Tasks	p. 201
Use external aids	p. 203
Increase the complexity of the action	p. 204
Use the Spaced-Retrieval Technique	p. 204
An Analysis of a Prospective Memory Failure and Possible Interventions	p. 205
Limitations of Existing Laboratory Experiments	p. 207
Real-World Prospective Memory Demands Are Embedded in Meaningful Events	p. 208
Real-World Habitual Prospective Memory Tasks Are Deeply Cued	p. 208
Interruptions can interfere with habitual actions	p. 209
An atypical action is sometimes required instead of a habitual action	p. 209
Monitoring for Low-Frequency Events May Be Required Over Extended Periods of Time	p. 209
Complex Sets of Actions Need to Be Planned and Initiated	p. 210
Real-World Retention Intervals Are Often Long	p. 210
Nonlaboratory Methods for Investigating Prospective Memory	p. 211
Incident Reports	p. 211
Clinical Assessment Techniques	p. 212
Observational Studies	p. 213
Simulations	p. 213
Naturalistic Studies	p. 214
Naturalistic studies with a diary	p. 215
Naturalistic studies with recording devices	p. 215
External Reminding Devices	p. 216
Summary	p. 217
Final Thoughts	p. 219
General Observations	p. 220
Beware of Unitary Interpretations	p. 220
Keep in Mind Real-World Prospective Memory Tasks When Designing Laboratory Prospective Memory Tasks	p. 220
Investigate How Individual Differences on Cognitive, Neurocognitive, and Personality Dimensions Affect Prospective Memory	p. 222
Explore People's Metacognitive Knowledge About Prospective Memory	p. 222
Continue to Conduct Finer-Grained Analysis of the Processes Involved in Prospective Remembering	p. 223
Continue to Develop and Accept New Methodological Approaches, Including Naturalistic Ones, for Studying Prospective Remembering	p. 223
Methodological Recommendations for Encouraging Consistency Across Experiments and for Understanding Existing Inconsistencies	p. 223
Understanding the Nature of the Task Interference, or Costs, Involved in Prospective Memory	p. 225
Expanding Theories and Investigations of Prospective Memory to Arenas Not Typically Termed Prospective Memory	p. 225
Capitalizing on the Prospective Memory Paradigm for Studying the Broader Issue of Spontaneous Retrieval	p. 226
Epilogue	p. 227
References	p. 228
Author Index	p. 247
Subject Index	p. 255
About the Authors	p. 263
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