Abstract

Time-based prospective memory (TBPM) involves remembering to perform actions at specific times in the future. Several studies suggest that monetary consequences improve prospective remembering; however, the effect of monetary consequences on strategic time monitoring (i.e., clock-checking behaviour) in TBPM is still unknown. The present study investigated how the monetary costs on clock-checking affected TBPM accuracy and strategic time monitoring. Participants performed an ongoing lexical decision task while carrying out a TBPM task every two minutes. Motivational incentives were manipulated across three experimental conditions: a single-cost condition in which missed TBPM responses led to monetary deductions, a double-cost condition in which both missed responses and time monitoring led to monetary deductions, and a control condition with no monetary deductions. Overall, the findings indicated that monetary costs on clock-checking prompted more parsimonious strategic time monitoring behaviour, which negatively impacted TBPM accuracy. These results emphasize the importance of weighing the motivational aspects involved in strategic monitoring, shedding light on the complex relationship between clock-checking behaviour, its consequences, and TBPM performance.

Details

Title
The cost of monitoring in time-based prospective memory
Author
Laera, Gianvito 1 ; Brummer, Jasmin 2 ; Hering, Alexandra 3 ; Kliegel, Matthias 1 ; Horn, Sebastian 2 

 University of Geneva, Cognitive Aging Lab (CAL), Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Geneva, Switzerland (GRID:grid.8591.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2175 2154); University of Geneva, Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, Geneva, Switzerland (GRID:grid.8591.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2175 2154); Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research, LIVES, Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspective, Geneva, Switzerland (GRID:grid.8591.5) 
 University of Zürich, Department of Psychology, Zürich, Switzerland (GRID:grid.7400.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0650) 
 University of Geneva, Cognitive Aging Lab (CAL), Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Geneva, Switzerland (GRID:grid.8591.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2175 2154); University of Geneva, Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, Geneva, Switzerland (GRID:grid.8591.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2175 2154); Tilburg University, Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg School for Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg, The Netherlands (GRID:grid.12295.3d) (ISNI:0000 0001 0943 3265) 
Pages
2279
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2918848485
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.