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Implementation intentions about nonfocal event-based prospective memory tasks

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Abstract

Implementation intentions are detailed and systematic plans that are developed during intention formation. We compared two different implementation intentions to standard event-based prospective memory instructions using three different kinds of intentions. Two of these intentions involved nonfocal cues whereas the remaining intention was about specific, focal cues. Implementation intentions dramatically increased detection performance for the nonfocal intentions. Because the exact cues could not be specified during intention formation, we argue that cue salience and that strengthening the cue to target action association are not very viable mechanisms to explain all instances of the beneficial consequences of forming implementation intentions.

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Notes

  1. We also analyzed task interference for the word trials in the temporal vicinity of successful cue detection (i.e., within ten total lexical decision trials before cue detection). The reaction times for these trials were statistically equivalent to the overall latencies across all nine conditions in the three experiments that we have reported here. This outcome of latencies in the vicinity of cue detection replicates our previously published work that also found no such differences (i.e., Hicks et al. 2005). However, we acknowledge that there is one report that may differ in this conclusion (see West, Krompinger, & Bowry, 2005).

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Acknowledgment

We thank Candace Miller and Jesse Lynch for their dedicated help in collecting the data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602-3013, USA

    J. Thadeus Meeks & Richard L. Marsh

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  1. J. Thadeus Meeks
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  2. Richard L. Marsh
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Correspondence to Richard L. Marsh.

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Meeks, J.T., Marsh, R.L. Implementation intentions about nonfocal event-based prospective memory tasks. Psychological Research 74, 82–89 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-008-0223-x

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