title: An individual difference perspective on focal versus nonfocal prospective memory.
abstract: The present study targeted the question of whether focal versus nonfocal prospective memory (PM) can be distinguished on a construct level, and if so, to what extent individual differences in these two constructs are related to individual differences in facets of controlled attention and episodic memory. 315 individuals (aged 20-68 years) were administered focal and nonfocal PM tasks as well as indicators measuring updating, inhibition, shifting, and episodic memory. Latent variable modeling revealed that focal and nonfocal PM were two distinguishable but related constructs. Furthermore, analyses showed that focal PM was more strongly related to inhibition, while nonfocal PM was more strongly related to shifting. Present data support the conceptual hypothesis that focal and nonfocal PM should be conceptualized as two distinguishable but related constructs. Moreover, they suggest that both have some but distinct associations to controlled attention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zuber
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.|Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kliegel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. Andreas.Ihle@unige.ch.|Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. Andreas.Ihle@unige.ch.|CIGEV, University of Geneva, Route des Acacias 54, 1227, Carouge, Switzerland. Andreas.Ihle@unige.ch.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ihle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003463:Cues; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cue focality; Episodic memory; Executive functions; Latent variable modeling; Prospective remembering