Future-Oriented Thinking: Saving, Prospective Memory, and Planning in Young Children

Doucet, Ellen · 2020 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.22215/etd/2020-14181

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Summary

This document is a Master’s thesis proposal by Ellen Doucet (2020) that outlines a planned study on the development of future-oriented thinking in young children. The research addresses a gap in the literature regarding how saving ability relates to other future-oriented skills, specifically prospective memory (PM) and planning. While previous studies have established links between saving and planning, and between PM and planning, the relationship between saving and PM remains largely unexplored. The study aims to determine if these three cognitive abilities are correlated in preschool-aged children, thereby clarifying the structure of early future-oriented cognition. The proposed methodology involved recruiting approximately 80 four- and five-year-old children from daycares in Moncton, New Brunswick. Participants were scheduled to complete a battery of tasks designed to measure specific cognitive skills. Saving ability was to be assessed using token and sticker saving tasks. Prospective memory was to be measured via card-sorting and naturalistic PM tasks. Planning abilities were to be evaluated using the Tower of Hanoi and Truck Loading tasks. Additionally, general language ability was to be controlled for using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test – Fifth Edition (PPVT-V). The planned analysis included examining correlations between task performances while controlling for age and language, as well as conducting an exploratory factor analysis to determine if these skills load onto a common underlying factor. However, the study was not conducted. Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, data collection could not occur. Consequently, the thesis contains no empirical results, statistical findings, or observed data from the intended participants. Instead of reporting actual outcomes, the document discusses potential results and theoretical expectations based on existing literature. It reviews prior findings, such as those by Metcalf and Atance (2011) and Kamawar et al. (2019), which suggest that preschoolers can save resources for future use and that planning aids this behavior. The text also distinguishes saving from delay of gratification, noting that saving requires forfeiting an immediate reward rather than merely waiting for an additional one. The significance of this work lies in its theoretical framework for understanding the emergence of future-oriented thinking. By proposing to link saving, PM, and planning, the study sought to provide a more comprehensive model of how children develop the capacity to consider their future selves. Although the empirical component was abandoned, the thesis contributes a detailed synthesis of the current state of research on preschool saving behaviors, highlighting the need for further investigation into how these distinct but related cognitive skills interact during early development. The document serves as a record of intended research design and a review of the motivational and cognitive factors influencing children's ability to plan for the future.

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• prospective memory interruptions