1. Prospective Memory • Remembering to complete a task in the future • Examples: • remembering to tell your roommate about a cool movie you saw • remembering to go to the store to buy food • remembering to come to class today by 2 pm PM task for you: Put up one finger if you hear me say “attention”

2. Prospective Memory PM vs. retrospective memory • self-initiated retrieval mode vs. researcher-initiated retrieval mode • retrieval mode based on cue or time (remember that) • retrospective component to PM (remember what)

3. Prospective Memory How is PM studied? • Ongoing task – models everyday tasks • PM task given with ongoing task to perform at set time or when encounter cue • Event-based vs. Time-based tasks • Press “p” key when see the word “turtle” • Press “p” key in 5 minutes

4. Prospective Memory How is PM studied? • Tasks can be lab-based or naturalistic • lab-based = cognitive + PM task on computer • naturalistic = PM task in everyday life • remember to call researcher when see test text or at 5 pm on Thurs • use of reminders

5. Prospective Memory Theories of PM – Event-based tasks • How much does PM task tax cognitive resources? (1) PAM View - Preparatory Attention always needed (2) MP View - Multiple Processes can be used

6. Prospective Memory PAM View: - resources always taken from ongoing task - people monitor environment for PM cues - can be seen in slower ongoing task performance or lower accuracy when PM task given

7. Prospective Memory (2) MP View: - default is to use automatic processes to spontaneously retrieve PM intention when cue is presented - only when PM task is difficult or important use cognitive resources to monitor for cues - will see no change in ongoing task performance with easy PM tasks

8. Prospective Memory When is PM task easy? (Einstein & McDaniel, 2005) • Focal task – process relevant features of PM cue when doing ongoing task - lexical decision with specific word PM cue - Count vowels with repeated vowels PM cue • MP view proposes spontaneous retrieval used for focal tasks • Non-focal tasks more likely to use resources

9. Prospective Memory PAM vs. MP Debate • Studies have shown cost to ongoing task with PM task (Smith, 2003) • Studies have shown no cost to ongoing task with focal PM tasks (Einstein et al., 2005) • Problem with non-significant findings • Smith et al. (2007) showed cost with focal task

10. Prospective Memory Alternative view - TAP • Overlap in processing type for ongoing and PM tasks aids PM performance • Studies have shown higher PM accuracy when tasks have same type of processing (Meier & Graf, 2000), but some have not found effect • Focal processing might be extreme case

11. Prospective Memory My Recent Work • Compare TAP and MP views of PM performance • PM task: respond to repeated vowels • Focal – Match (number of vowels) • Nonfocal – Match (number of syllables) • Nonfocal – Mismatch (living/nonliving)

12. Prospective Memory Supports MP view * McBride & Abney (in press)

13. Prospective Memory My Recent Work • However, additional study looking at effort on the ongoing task • Ongoing task: lexical decision • Focal – Match: respond to specific words • Nonfocal – Match: respond to animal words • Nonfocal – Mismatch: respond to palindromes (rotor, radar, etc.)

14. Prospective Memory Supports Gradation view * * Abney & McBride (submitted)

15. Prospective Memory Forgetting in PM – Does PM decline as RM does? • Some studies have shown PM declines with longer delays (Meier et al., 2006; Scullin & McDaniel, 2010) • Others show no decline (Guynn et al., 1998; Nigro & Cicogna, 2000)

16. Prospective Memory My Recent Work • Looked at delays of 1 to 20 min in 2 exps Exp 1 Exp 2 McBride, Beckner, & Abney (M&C, 2011)

17. Prospective Memory Completing PM tasks – do we remember? • Important for some tasks – taking medication • Studies have shown that cost of PM task may continue after PM task has been completed (West et al., 2007) • Intention Superiority Effect – takes time for activation of a PM intention to degrade • How long does deactivation of intention take?

18. Prospective Memory - Summary • PM = remembering to complete task in future • Is attention necessary for completion? Sometimes • Is overlap of processing in ongoing and PM tasks important? Probably • Is forgetting in PM similar to forgetting in RM? Probably • How long does it take to deactivate an intention? ??