Gonen Yaacovi, G.; (2012) Encoding and retrieval processes in prospective memory. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the influence of different characteristics of prospective memory (PM) cues and ongoing tasks on processes supporting PM retrieval. The first four experiments assessed the role of motivational enhancements on event- and timebased tasks. In the first experiment, it has been hypothesized that in a high-incentive condition, PM performance should be better compared with a low-incentive condition. In addition, in a negative reinforcement condition PM performance should be better than in a positive reinforcement condition. The second experiment extended these hypotheses by looking at individual differences, using skin conductance and personality questionnaires, while in the third experiment these hypotheses were used to assess order effect, using two successively low-incentive conditions. Finally, in the fourth experiment, these hypotheses have been tested on time-based PM tasks, including a punishment condition. The results from these experiments showed that high compared with low incentives influence retrieval processes on PM tasks. In addition, individuals differed in their performance to the negative and positive reinforcements on event-based tasks. Finally, performance was better under the punishment condition compared with the positive and negative reinforcement conditions on time-based tasks. The fifth experiment looked at how different types of PM cues and ongoing tasks influence retrieval processes when multiple cues were involved. Results showed that when the ongoing task was demanding and the PM cues were nonfocal, greater attentional resources were assigned to perform the PM task. In the final experiment, implicit and explicit encoding of PM intentions was investigated. It has been hypothesized that explicit encoding should lead to better performance compared with implicit encoding and that pre- and poststimulus neural activity, measured by electroencephalogram, will predict the retrieval of PM intentions. The overall results highlighted the influence of different components involved during encoding and retrieval of intentions, on PM performance.

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