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Revisiting the age-prospective memory-paradox: the role of planning and task experience

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Abstract

The present study aimed at investigating age-related differences in prospective memory performance using a paradigm with high ecological validity and experimental control. Thirty old and 30 young adults completed the Dresden Breakfast task; a meal preparation task in the lab that comprises several subtasks including event- and time-based prospective memory tasks. Participants were required to plan how to perform the task. Results showed that young adults outperformed old adults: they completed more subtasks, showed better event- and time-based prospective memory performance and planning quality. In contrast, old adults adhered to their plans more closely than young adults. Further exploratory gender-specific analyses indicated that old women did not differ from young men in time-based prospective memory performance, general task performance and time monitoring in contrast to old men. Possibly, differences in experience in breakfast preparation might account for these differential findings.

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Notes

  1. Further analyses indicate that within the age groups there were no statistically significant differences between women and men in verbal and nonverbal ability measures.

  2. Confidence intervals was adjusted with Bonferroni correction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Alexandra Hering & Matthias Kliegel

  2. Department of Psychology, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Sergio A. Cortez & Mareike Altgassen

  3. Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Mareike Altgassen

Authors
  1. Alexandra Hering
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  2. Sergio A. Cortez
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  3. Matthias Kliegel
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  4. Mareike Altgassen
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Correspondence to Mareike Altgassen.

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Responsible Editor: H.-W. Wahl.

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Hering, A., Cortez, S.A., Kliegel, M. et al. Revisiting the age-prospective memory-paradox: the role of planning and task experience. Eur J Ageing 11, 99–106 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-013-0284-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-013-0284-6

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