Age differences in strategic reminder setting and the compensatory role of metacognition

Scarampi, Chiara; Gilbert, Sam · 2020 · Crossref

DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/vsa45

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Summary

This study investigates age-related differences in prospective memory, specifically examining whether older adults can compensate for memory declines by using external reminders (intention offloading) and how metacognition influences this behavior. While previous research indicates that older adults often perform worse on laboratory prospective memory tasks, they sometimes perform comparably to younger adults in naturalistic settings, potentially due to the use of external aids. The authors aimed to determine if permitting older adults to set reminders in a controlled laboratory setting would reduce age-related performance deficits and whether metacognitive confidence drives the strategic use of these aids. The researchers conducted a pre-registered experiment with 88 participants: 44 younger adults (aged 18–30) and 44 older adults (aged 65–84). Participants completed a computerized task requiring them to remember delayed intentions (dragging specific numbered circles to designated locations) while performing an ongoing arithmetic verification task. The study employed a 2x2 within-subject design manipulating memory load (one vs. three target items) and offloading condition (no reminders permitted vs. optional reminders). Participants could choose to move target circles to their destination locations at the start of a trial to serve as visual reminders. Metacognitive confidence was measured via self-rated predictions of performance accuracy. Additional measures included assessments of depression, cognitive screening, and self-reported memory strategy use. Results showed that older adults performed significantly worse than younger adults in the unaided condition, particularly under high memory load. Although allowing participants to set reminders improved overall performance and reduced the impact of memory load, it did not significantly eliminate the age difference in accuracy; older adults still underperformed younger adults when reminders were optional. Contrary to the hypothesis that older adults would rely more heavily on external aids, there was no significant difference between age groups in the frequency of reminder setting. Both groups increased their use of reminders when memory load was higher, but older adults did not compensate for their poorer unaided performance by increasing offloading behavior. Furthermore, older adults exhibited overconfidence in their memory abilities, showing a disconnect between their poor objective performance and their high confidence ratings. These findings suggest that older adults possess limited metacognitive knowledge regarding their prospective memory limitations. Despite having access to compensatory strategies, they do not fully utilize them to offset age-related declines, likely due to an inaccurate assessment of their own memory capabilities. The study highlights that the "age-prospective memory paradox"—where older adults perform well in naturalistic settings—may not be fully explained by strategic offloading in laboratory contexts, pointing to a need for better metacognitive monitoring to support successful cognitive aging.

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• prospective memory interruptions