Prospective memory can be defined as remembering to perform a task in the future. As discussed in our class text in Chapter 6, prospective memory requires two components: 1) an intention to complete a task in the future and 2) completion of the task at the time intended (p. 184). Noncritical examples of prospective memory tasks may include grabbing a water bottle at the gas station on the way to the gym or remember to bring a specific book to work the next day. More crucial prospective memory tasks are abundant in occupations such as aviation and surgical medicine where the lives of one to several hundred could be at the mercy of a professional forgetting to perform a task they previously intended to complete such as removal of surgical hardware or proper placement of plane devices before takeoff.
In Dismukes’ article, Prospective Memory in Workplace and Everyday Situations, he discusses the demand for further laboratory research on prospective memory tasks to evaluate the reasons behind memory task failure and better propose effective tools to enhance one’s memory to perform future tasks. He proposes interruptions, disrupted habitual tasks, habit capture and multitasking could be potential risk factors to one’s …show more content…
185). Suggestions include: avoid giving into distractions from a task if possible, create reminders, pause to encode your current task when interrupted, avoid multitasking when the importance of one task exceedingly outweighs other tasks, link future tasks to daily habits or occurrences, and use of external memory aids. The author notes studies have found cues for prospective memory task work better when they are distinctive, salient or unusual and that cues which consisted of words resulted in better performance than those which required syllable
In Dismukes’ article, Prospective Memory in Workplace and Everyday Situations, he discusses the demand for further laboratory research on prospective memory tasks to evaluate the reasons behind memory task failure and better propose effective tools to enhance one’s memory to perform future tasks. He proposes interruptions, disrupted habitual tasks, habit capture and multitasking could be potential risk factors to one’s …show more content…
185). Suggestions include: avoid giving into distractions from a task if possible, create reminders, pause to encode your current task when interrupted, avoid multitasking when the importance of one task exceedingly outweighs other tasks, link future tasks to daily habits or occurrences, and use of external memory aids. The author notes studies have found cues for prospective memory task work better when they are distinctive, salient or unusual and that cues which consisted of words resulted in better performance than those which required syllable