Prospective Memory

情景前瞻记忆(PROM)是一种允许我们制定计划并在随后的正确时间或地点回忆起来的能力。相比之下，回溯记忆(RetM)是一种允许我们回忆特定先前经历或事件的能力。例如，如果我们制定了在回家的路上停下来在市场买杂货的计划，当我们开车经过市场时，间歇性的舞会是必要的，以唤起我们对这个计划的认识，然后RetM被要求回忆我们计划购买的食品杂货。间歇性早产与警觉/监测不同，警戒/监测是早产的另一个子领域，在整个保留期，计划保持在意识中。在一个经典的警戒/监测例子中，空中交通管制员维护着一个计划，将意识中的飞机分开，并不断警惕飞机有过于接近的危险的迹象，并在飞机可能过于接近时发出指令。他说，我的研究的长期目标是促进我们对前瞻记忆中涉及年龄相关变化的过程的理解。主流理论对前瞻记忆中年龄下降的幅度做出了不同的预测，其中一些理论预测不会出现年龄相关的下降(McDaniel&Einstein，2000)，而另一些理论则预测了与年龄相关的显著下降(Craik，1983,1986)。尽管压倒性证据显示发作性胎膜早破各方面的年龄下降，但尚不清楚年龄下降的模式是什么(例如，线性、加速)，这种模式是否取决于胎膜早破的子域(阵发性胎膜早破与警觉/监测)，年龄下降的比例可以用基本认知过程中的年龄下降来解释，以及哪些因素影响年龄下降的大小。这四个短期目标是：(1)考察发作性早产与警觉/监控的年龄差异模式；(2)考察基本认知过程中的个体差异(包括加工速度、工作记忆、结晶智力、液态智力和个性)对发作性早泄与警戒/监控年龄差异的贡献；(3)检验发作性早泄和警觉/监控措施的收敛和发散有效性；以及(4)研究编码/提取互动、编码/计划活动和动机(使用货币激励)如何影响发作性早泄的年龄差异。他说，拟议的研究无论从理论还是应用角度都很重要。首先，这项研究将通过研究胎膜早破的年龄下降模式和基本认知过程来促进胎膜早破理论的发展。其次，这项研究还将产生有关发作性胎膜早破的可靠和有效测量的标准化数据，这些数据目前尚不存在，但在支持老年人独立生活的临床和应用环境中至关重要。

Episodic prospective memory (ProM) is the ability that allows us to make plans and to recollect them later at the right time or place. In contrast, retrospective memory (RetM) is the ability that allows us to recollect specific prior experiences or events. For example, if we make a plan to stop for groceries at the market on the way home, episodic ProM is necessary to bring back to awareness this plan as we drive by the market, and then RetM is required to recollect which groceries we planned to buy. Episodic ProM is distinguished from vigilance/monitoring, another subdomain of ProM, where the plan remains in consciousness throughout the retention period. In a classical example of vigilance/monitoring, an air traffic controller maintains a plan to separate air planes in consciousness and constantly watches out for cues that the air planes are in danger of coming too close to each other and issues directives whenever the air planes may come too close to each other.      The long term goal of my research is to advance our understanding of processes involved in age-related changes in prospective memory. Leading theories have made different predictions about magnitude of age declines in prospective memory with some theories predicting no age-related declines (McDaniel & Einstein, 2000) whereas other theories predicting substantial age-related declines (Craik, 1983, 1986). Although overwhelming evidence shows age declines in all aspects of episodic ProM, it is unclear what is the pattern of age declines (e.g., linear, accelerated), whether the pattern depends on subdomain of ProM (episodic ProM vs. vigilance/monitoring), what proportion of age declines can be explained by age declines in fundamental cognitive processes, and which factors influence the size of age declines. The four short-term objectives are: (1) to examine pattern of age-differences in episodic ProM vs. vigilance/monitoring across adult lifespan; (2) to examine contribution of individual differences in fundamental cognitive process including processing speed, working memory, crystalized intelligence, fluid intelligence, and personality to age differences in episodic ProM vs. vigilance/monitoring; (3) to examine convergent and divergent validity of episodic ProM and vigilance/monitoring measures; and (4) to examine how encoding/retrieval interactions, encoding/planning activities, and motivation (using monetary incentives) influence age differences in episodic ProM.      The proposed research is important from both theoretical and applied perspectives. First, the research will advance theories of ProM by examining patterns of age declines and fundamental cognitive processes involved in ProM. Second, the research will also result in normative data on reliable and valid measures of episodic ProM, the data that are currently missing but are critical in clinical and applied settings for supporting older adults' independent living.