An ecologically valid examination of event-based and time-based prospective memory using immersive virtual reality: The influence of attention, memory, and executive function processes on real-world prospective memory

Kourtesis, Panagiotis; MacPherson, Sarah E. · 2021 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2021.2008983

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Summary

This study addresses the limitations of traditional laboratory-based prospective memory (PM) assessments, which often lack ecological validity and yield results discrepant from real-world functioning. The authors investigate the specific cognitive processes—attention, memory, and executive function—that influence everyday event-based and time-based PM. To achieve this, they utilize the Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL), an immersive VR neuropsychological battery designed to simulate the complexity and cognitive demands of daily life more accurately than static laboratory tasks or non-immersive virtual environments. The experimental design involved 41 participants who completed the VR-EAL scenario, a 70-minute immersive experience requiring them to perform various errands, including event-based PM tasks (e.g., taking medication after breakfast) and time-based PM tasks (e.g., calling a contact at a specific time). The battery also assessed immediate and delayed recognition, planning, multitasking, and selective visual, visuospatial, and auditory attention. Linear regression analyses were conducted to determine which cognitive functions best predicted performance on the PM tasks, comparing models based on statistical power, variance explained, and fit criteria. The results identified distinct cognitive profiles for the two types of PM. For event-based PM, delayed recognition was the strongest predictor, followed by visuospatial attention speed and planning ability. The best model explained 25% of the variance, with delayed recognition being the only statistically significant individual predictor. For time-based PM, planning ability was the primary predictor, followed by visuospatial attention accuracy, delayed recognition, and multitasking/task-shifting ability. This model explained 32% of the variance, with the combined effect of these four functions being significant. Notably, immediate recognition and simple visual attention did not significantly predict PM performance in this ecologically valid context. These findings underscore the importance of ecological validity in cognitive assessment, demonstrating that immersive VR paradigms can reveal the nuanced interplay of cognitive processes in real-world PM functioning. The study suggests that delayed recognition is central to event-based PM, while planning is critical for time-based PM. By moving beyond simplified laboratory tasks, this research provides a more accurate understanding of how attention, memory, and executive functions support everyday behavior, offering implications for assessing and potentially rehabilitating PM impairments in clinical populations.

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• prospective memory interruptions