Age benefits in everyday prospective memory: The influence of personal task importance, use of reminders and everyday stress

Abstract

The present diary study examined everyday prospective memory tasks in younger and old adults and explored the role of personal task importance, use of reminders and everyday stress as possible correlates of age-related prospective memory performance in everyday life. Results revealed an age benefit in everyday prospective memory tasks. In addition, task importance was identified as a critical moderator of age-related prospective memory performance. More frequent use of reminders and lower levels of stress, however, were associated with better prospective memory performance in general but did not contribute to age-related prospective memory performance. Exploring further possible correlates of prospective memory revealed that the strategy to reprioritize initially planned intentions was associated with age benefits in everyday prospective memory. Results suggest that the age-related benefit observed in experimenter-given tasks transfers to everyday prospective memory and varies in dependence of motivational and cognitive factors. Implications for theoretical models of prospective memory and aging are discussed.

Prospective memory tasks related to goals and concerns are rated as more important by both young and older adults

“…Therefore, in the current study, the nonstudent group would need very high estimates of task importance to exceed those expected from the college group. In contrast, we would predict no difference in importance ratings between young college students and older adults because that outcome would replicate past findings (Freeman and Ellis 2003;Ihle et al 2012). …”

“…However, their young adult sample was composed entirely of college students. Similarly, Ihle et al (2012) also found no age-related difference in importance ratings for real prospective memory tasks, although again their young adult sample consisted of ''mostly'' undergraduate students. Thus, research has shown two null results for age effects on importance ratings for real-life prospective memory tasks despite prior demonstrations of the effect for experimenterassigned tasks (e.g., Kvavilashvili and Fisher 2007;Patton and Meit 1993).…”

“…1). Higher importance, in turn, promotes better performance rates (e.g., Freeman and Ellis 2003;Ihle et al 2012;Kliegel et al 2004;Kvavilashvili 1987). …”

“…In addition, older adults report more everyday memory failures (including both retrospective and prospective memory failures) and more concern over these failures than young adults (Cavanaugh et al 1983). Not surprisingly, much of the research done on prospective memory to date has focused on identifying variables that improve remembering, especially variables that are effective for both young and older adults (e.g., Ihle et al 2012).…”

“…This link is well established. Specifically, higher task importance is associated with better performance in both young adult samples (e.g., Freeman and Ellis 2003;Kliegel et al 2004;Kvavilashvili 1987;Szarras and Niedźwieńska 2011) and older adult samples (e.g., Freeman and Ellis 2003;Ihle et al 2012). There is even some evidence that task importance can benefit older adults more than young adults (e.g., Altgassen et al 2010).…”