Is task interference in event-based prospective memory dependent on cue presentation?

Loft, Shayne; Kearney, Rebecca; Remington, Roger · 2008 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3758/mc.36.1.139

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Summary

This study investigates whether task interference in event-based prospective memory (PM) is dependent on the presentation of cues during an ongoing task. Task interference refers to the performance cost (slower response times) on ongoing tasks when individuals hold an intention to perform a future action, even when the PM cue is not present. The research addresses theoretical debates between the Preparatory Attention and Memory (PAM) theory, which posits that cue detection requires allocated attentional resources, and the multiprocess view, which suggests cue detection can occur automatically. Specifically, the authors test whether attention allocation policies, established at encoding, are flexible and can be adjusted based on ongoing task experience, particularly the absence of expected cues. The researchers conducted three experiments using a lexical decision task as the ongoing activity. Participants were instructed to press a specific key when encountering pre-studied cue words. In Experiment 1, participants were divided into conditions where cues were presented, not presented, or where no PM intention was held (control). Experiment 2 replicated this design but manipulated the relative importance of the PM task versus the ongoing task. Experiment 3 examined how task interference changed over time across multiple blocks of trials, comparing conditions with and without cue presentation. Response times on non-cue trials were used to calculate task interference scores, measuring the cost of holding the intention. The results consistently demonstrated that task interference was significantly reduced when expected PM cues were not presented compared to when they were. In Experiment 1, the interference cost was 94 ms when cues were presented but only 29 ms when they were absent. Experiment 2 showed that this reduction occurred regardless of whether the PM task or the ongoing task was emphasized as more important; there was no interaction between task importance and cue presentation. Experiment 3 further revealed that task interference decreased over time, and this decrease was greater in the absence of cues. Even when cues were never presented, some interference remained, indicating that intentions still impose a cost, but the magnitude of this cost is modulated by cue experience. These findings suggest that attention allocation policies in prospective memory are not static but are dynamically maintained and adjusted based on the presentation of cues. The maintenance of attention allocated to PM tasks relies on periodic reinforcement through cue encounters. This challenges rigid interpretations of PAM theory and supports the notion that individuals adapt their attentional resources based on ongoing task experience. The study provides evidence that people can reduce the cognitive cost of holding intentions when cues are not encountered, which has implications for understanding how multiple intentions are managed in everyday contexts where cue frequency varies.

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Topics

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• prospective memory interruptions
• task switching