Self-reported strategy generation and implementation in the multiple errands test: A qualitative description

Scarff, Shannon M; Fleming, Jennifer; Nalder, Emily; Neale, Emma; Gullo, Hannah

doi:10.1080/09602011.2021.1899943

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Compared with classical laboratory paradigms, the more naturalistic situations and the freedom to choose one’s actions in EPELI provide an innovative and ecologically more relevant way to examine spontaneous memory strategy use and its relationships with actual task performance. This inquiry is also relevant in terms of potential interventions: recognising and facilitating self-generated strategy use can provide a particularly effective avenue for cognitive training (e.g., Scarff et al, 2022). In the present online study, we employed a 10-block flat screen adult version of EPELI and collected open-ended strategy reports from the participants after each block.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spontaneous memory strategies in a videogame simulating everyday memory tasks

Laine,

Jylkkä,

Ritakallio

et al. 2023

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

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People can use different internal strategies to manage their daily tasks, but systematic research on these strategies and their significance for actual performance is still quite sparse. Here we examined self-reported internal strategy use with a 10-block version of the videogame EPELI in a group of 202 neurotypical adults of 18 to 50 years of age. In the game, participants perform lists of everyday tasks from memory while navigating in a virtual apartment. Open-ended strategy reports were collected after each EPELI task block, and for comparison also after an EPELI Instruction Recall task and a Word List Learning task assessing episodic memory. On average 45% of the participants reported using some strategy in EPELI, the most common types being grouping (e.g., performing the tasks room by room), utilizing a familiar action schema, and condensing information (e.g., memorizing only keywords). Our pre-registered hypothesis on the beneficial effect of self-initiated strategy use gained support, as strategy users showed better performance on EPELI as compared to no strategy users. One of the strategies, grouping, was identified as a clearly effective strategy type. Block-by-block transitions suggested gradual stabilization of strategy use over the 10 EPELI blocks. The proneness to use strategies showed a weak but reliable association between EPELI and Word List Learning. Overall, the present results highlight the importance of internal strategy use for understanding individual differences in memory performance, as well as the potential benefit for internal strategy employment when faced with everyday memory tasks.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%