Google Calendar: A single case experimental design study of a man with severe memory problems

Victoria N Baldwin,Theresa Powell

doi:10.1080/09602011.2014.956764

Victoria N Baldwin, Theresa Powell

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2014.956764

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Journal: Neuropsychological Rehabilitation	Publication Date: Sep 29, 2014
Citations: 19	License type: open-access

Affiliation: University of Birmingham

Abstract

A single case experimental design across behaviours was utilised to explore the effectiveness of Google Calendar text alerts delivered to a mobile phone as a memory aid. The participant was a 43-year-old man (JA) with severe memory problems and executive difficulties caused by a traumatic brain injury (TBI). JA was initially very unwilling to use any memory aid and so a detailed assessment of his beliefs about memory aids, his cognitive difficulties and his social context was performed and a set of specifications for an aid was produced collaboratively. Six weeks of baseline data and six weeks of intervention data were collected for three target memory behaviours and three control memory behaviours. Results were analysed using nonoverlap of all pairs (NAP) analysis which showed a reduction in forgetting in the three target behaviours and no change in two of the three control behaviours. A subjective measure (the revised Everyday Memory Questionnaire) also suggested improvement. This study illustrates that Google Calendar is a highly effective memory aid and emphasises the importance of choosing a memory aid to suit the person's lifestyle and beliefs.

Highlights

The use of portable electronic aids that provide both a means of communication and continuous memory support throughout the day is commonplace
The present study describes the use of Google Calendar and a mobile phone as an electronic memory aid for a man with acquired brain injury (ABI) who found other memory strategies unacceptable on the basis that they were potentially stigmatising
Several studies of prospective memory (PM) have shown that difficulties persist long after injury (e.g., Knight, Harnett, & Titov, 2005; Potvin, Rouleau, Audy, Charbonneau, & Giguere, 2011) and there is little evidence that suggests that lost memory functioning can be restored following ABI (Wilson et al, 2009)

Summary

Introduction

The use of portable electronic aids that provide both a means of communication and continuous memory support throughout the day is commonplace. Such aids are in keeping with current technological trends and are widely accepted. The present study describes the use of Google Calendar and a mobile phone as an electronic memory aid for a man with acquired brain injury (ABI) who found other memory strategies unacceptable on the basis that they were potentially stigmatising. Several studies of PM have shown that difficulties persist long after injury (e.g., Knight, Harnett, & Titov, 2005; Potvin, Rouleau, Audy, Charbonneau, & Giguere, 2011) and there is little evidence that suggests that lost memory functioning can be restored following ABI (Wilson et al, 2009)

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