Aging and prospective memory: the role of working memory and monitoring processes.
OBJECTIVE
Remembering to execute an earlier planned action is essential in everyday life, and is a prerequisite for independent living in old age. The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of age in performing a prospective memory (PM) task and to analyze the differential contribution of working memory and attentional monitoring demands.


METHODS
In Experiment 1, a group of young and two groups of old adults were assigned to one of two low-demanding conditions: a picture-naming task (only-Naming) and a picture-naming plus a PM task (Naming+PM). In Experiment 2, a group of young and two groups of old adults performed one of two high-demanding conditions, in which working memory and attentional monitoring processes were examined, using a listening span-like task and a 1-back task within the PM paradigm of Experiment 1.


RESULTS
Prospective memory performance declined with age even in the low-demanding condition (Experiment 1). Young participants showed PM failures only when the 1-back task was added to the low-demanding condition. Older participants exhibited a marked decline, particularly in the working memory load condition.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that even low-demanding prospective memory tasks are resource-consuming in old age, and that working memory efficiency, affected by the aging process, plays a crucial role in the successful accomplishment of PM actions.
Bisiacchi
Patrizia S
PS
Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. patrizia.bisiacchi@unipd.it
Tarantino
Vincenza
V
Ciccola
Alessia
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult