Do executive functions explain older adults’ health-related quality of life beyond event-based prospective memory?

Abstract

Previous work has shown that event-based prospective memory (EBPM) predicted health-related quality of life (HrQoL). In the present study, we aimed to examine whether the relationship between EBPM and HrQoL extended to life satisfaction, and whether it persisted after controlling for other cognitive functions related to EBPM, namely executive functions and retrospective memory. We tested two models using structural equation modeling with latent variables in a sample of older adults. In the first model, we assessed whether EBPM predicted life satisfaction and HrQoL; in the second model, we controlled for retrospective memory and executive functions. The first model indicated that EBPM was related to HrQoL. However, in the second model, this relationship was eliminated by executive functions; life satisfaction was not related to any of the cognitive variables. Findings corroborated the link between HrQoL and EBPM, suggesting that such relationship stems from executive functions rather than retrospective memory.

From attentional fluctuations to intentional fluctuations? Monitoring behavior and intraindividual variability in time-based prospective memory.

“…The present study thus also contributes to clarifying the mechanisms underlying the age-related impairment in time-based PM in the laboratory (see Henry et al, 2004). Our findings illustrate that monitoring for time frequently and strategically is highly demanding in attentional processes, and thus, particularly difficult for individuals with fewer attentional resources, such as older adults (Ballhausen et al, 2017;d'Ydewalle et al, 2001;Laera, Borghese, et al, 2023;Mäntylä & Carelli, 2006;Martin & Schumann-Hengsteler, 2001; for similar conclusions in event-based PM, see also Laera, Joly-Burra, et al, 2023).…”

Ask for Reviews at the Right Time: Evidence from Two Field Experiments

“…Task reminders can mitigate the declining tendency of task compliance through memory recall (Cartee, Fink, and Pak 2013; Guynn, McDaniel, and Einstein 1998; Hicks, Marsh, and Russell 2000; Laera et al 2023). In our setting, review reminders provide retrieval cues that evoke the prospective memory of doing product reviews, thus increasing the likelihood of the action.…”

Exploring the Relationship between Emotional Valence and Prospective Memory Metamemory in Younger and Older Adults

“…Research differentiates between two types of PM tasks: (1) event-based PM tasks, which consist of remembering to execute the intended actions when a specific event or cue occurs, such as remembering to take your medication after dinner, and (2) time-based PM tasks, which consist of remembering to execute the intended actions at a specific time or after a certain amount of time has elapsed, such as remembering to take the cake out of the oven after 30 min. PM has been identified as an important cognitive process that is highly predictive for independence and daily-life autonomy, making it particularly relevant for older adults [3,4]. Although PM is highly frequent in everyday life [5], available research suggests that, at least in controlled laboratory PM tasks, older adults perform worse than younger adults [6].…”