Examining the Picture Superiority Effect in Prospective Memory, Including the Factors of Age and Attention Load

Abstract

Numerous studies have demonstrated the existence of the picture superiority effect (i.e. better memory for pictures than words) in retrospective memory, but the examination of whether the picture superiority effect exists in prospective memory has been severely underrepresented in the literature, and is thus the current focus of this paper. Additionally, we seek to examine if there are differences in ongoing task and prospective memory task performance between age groups (i.e. old and young) and under different loads of attention (i.e. single and divided). We hypothesize that pictures will promote spontaneous retrieval, which will be exhibited by high and stable performance in the picture (not word) conditions across both divided and non-divided attention tasks and equivalent prospective memory performance by younger and older adults in the picture, not word conditions.