Time-based prospective memory has plasticity in behavior under different monitoring conditions

Abstract

The practice effect of prospective memory is the phenomenon that the performance of prospective memory can improve through behavior training. There is indirect evidence from existing studies suggesting the existence of the practice effect of time-based prospective memory (TBPM). However, there were signs that the practice effect might be influenced by external time monitoring conditions. Therefore, we first tested whether the practice effect existed under different monitoring conditions. Then, we examined the possible causes of the practice effect with some indicators including the accuracy and reaction time of ongoing task, the number of time monitoring and the time difference. In the present study, one hundred and fifty-four undergraduate students participated in the experiment and were randomly assigned to four experimental levels. The ongoing task was the 1-back task and the prospective memory task was to press 1 key per minute. The control group only needed train the ongoing task, and the experimental group was required to practice both the ongoing task and the TBPM task. The results revealed that the performance of the TBPM task in the experimental group was better than that in the control group under different time monitoring conditions with smaller time difference and superior performance of the ongoing task. The results suggest that the practice effect of TBPM exists steadily, and two reasons contribute to the practice effect: improved effectiveness of time monitoring, and reduced attention demand on the TBPM task.