Time-related processes in time-based prospective memory and in time-interval production

Abstract

Time-based prospective memory tasks require the retrieval of previously formed plans (e.g., call me on my mobile phone) either at a specified time (e.g., at 3 p.m.) or after a specified period of time has elapsed (e.g., in 3 min). In the present study, we investigated whether the same time-related processes are recruited for a short-duration time-based prospective memory task and for a time-interval production task. In a dual-task paradigm, we required young adult participants to make category-membership decisions, while they were simultaneously engaged either in a time-based prospective memory tasks or in a time-interval production task. Under one set of conditions, participants were instructed to allocate attention equally to the two tasks, whereas in another set of conditions, they allocated attention primarily to the time-relevant task. The findings revealed that time estimates were not affected by the attention allocation manipulation, although it influenced performance on the concurrent category membership decision making task, and as expected time estimates were more accurate on the prospective memory task than on the time-production task. Based on the preponderance of the findings, we suggest that timing is managed by different mechanisms and/or strategies on time-interval production tasks and on short-duration time-based prospective memory tasks.