Proactive control processes in event-based prospective memory: Evidence from intraindividual variability and...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human Factors

Background:

• Prospective memory (PM) involves remembering to perform an intended action in the future.
• Understanding the cognitive control mechanisms behind PM costs and cue detection is crucial.
• Individual differences in cognitive abilities may influence PM performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between cognitive control, response time (RT) variability, and prospective memory (PM) performance.
• To characterize the cognitive control dynamics underlying ongoing task costs and cue detection in event-based PM.
• To examine how PM importance and cue focality affect PM performance and associated cognitive control.

Main Methods:

• Employed an individual differences approach combined with response time (RT) variability and distribution modeling.
• Conducted three experiments using a nonfocal PM paradigm, manipulating PM importance and cue focality.
• Assessed proactive control ability, ex-Gaussian RT parameters (μ, τ), and intraindividual variability (CoV).

Main Results:

• Nonfocal PM increased all cost measures, with only μ reliably predicting cue detection.
• PM importance and focal cues modulated μ cost, impacting cue detection and slowing.
• Proactive control positively correlated with μ cost and cue detection, but negatively with variability cost (τ, CoV).

Conclusions:

• The μ cost likely reflects a target-checking process that enhances PM cue detection and causes general slowing.
• Individual differences in proactive control influence reliance on effective monitoring processes for PM.
• RT variability and distribution analyses are valuable tools for understanding PM costs and cognitive control theories.