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Development of prospective memory: tasks based on the prefrontal-lobe model.
Heather Ward1, David Shum, Lynne McKinlay
1School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia. h.ward@griffith.edu.au
Summary
Prospective memory development in children and adolescents is linked to prefrontal lobe maturation. Cognitive demand significantly impacts performance, while perceived importance does not.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Prospective memory (PM) is crucial for daily functioning.
- Its development is theorized to be linked to prefrontal lobe maturation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental trajectory of prospective memory.
- To examine the influence of cognitive demand and cue importance on PM performance.
- To explore the relationship between PM and prefrontal lobe functions.
Main Methods:
- Compared prospective memory performance in children, adolescents, and young adults.
- Utilized ongoing tasks with varying cognitive demands and cue importance.
- Administered tasks assessing prefrontal lobe functions: Self-Ordered Pointing Task (SOPT), Stroop Color Word Interference Test, and Tower of London.
Main Results:
- Children demonstrated poorer prospective memory than adolescents and adults.
- Performance declined significantly with increased cognitive demand.
- Cue importance did not affect prospective memory performance.
- SOPT and Stroop performance predicted high-demand prospective memory.
Conclusions:
- Prospective memory development is associated with the maturation of the prefrontal cortex.
- Cognitive load is a critical factor in prospective memory performance.
- Prefrontal functions are integral to age-related improvements in prospective memory.