Figure 1
MPT model of event-based PM.
Notes. PM = Prospective Memory. In the color-matching task, there were four different trial types: 1) PM targets with match trials, 2) PM targets with non-match trials, 3) non-PM targets with match trials and 4) non-PM targets with non-match trials. The top left portion of the tree in Figure 1 refers to PM targets that occur in color-match trials. In the upper half of the tree, C1 refers to the probability that participants detect the color of the word as a match. P refers to the probability that participants engage the prospective component whereas 1 – P refers to the probability of failing to engage the prospective component. M1 refers to the probability of engaging a successful recognition of the PM target, resulting in a ‘PM’ response. In the case where participants do not recognize the target (i.e., 1 – M1), they can either guess that the word is a target (g), resulting in a ‘PM’ response or not (1 – g), thereby resulting in a ‘match’ response. In the case where participants successfully detect that the color of the word match but failed in engaging the prospective component (i.e., 1 – P), they cannot produce a ‘PM’ response, resulting in a ‘match’ response. The lower half of the tree refers to the case in which participants fail to detect that the color of the word matches (i.e., 1 – C1). In this condition, participants may successfully engage the prospective component (P) and recognition of the target (i.e., M1), resulting in a ‘PM response’. Once again, if the participants do not recognize the target (i.e., 1 – M1), they can either guess that the word is a target (g), resulting in a ‘PM’ response. In the case where participants do not guess that the word is a target (1 – g), they may either guess with probability c that the color of the word matches, resulting in a ‘match’ response or guess with the probability 1– c that the color of the word does not match, therefore resulting in a ‘non-match’ response. In the case where participants fail to engage the prospective component (i.e., 1 – P), they may either guess (c) that the word matches, resulting in a ‘match’ response, or they may guess that the color of the word does not matches, therefore resulting in a ‘non-match’ response. Adapted from ‘A multinomial model of event-based prospective memory’ by R. E. Smith and U. J. Bayen, 2004, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 30, p. 758.
Figure 2
Illustration of the general procedure used in the current experiment and example of a trial with the possible responses.
Notes. During the course of an ongoing task (OT) trial, the appearance of a green filler item results in a match response to indicate that the color of the item matches the color of the second rectangle presented just before. Conversely, the appearance of a white filler item results in a non-match response because the color does not match any of the rectangles presented. For the prospective memory (PM) task, participants are required to ignore the responses associated with the color match so that the appearance of PM target results in a PM response.
Figure 3
PM performance as a function of importance instructions.
Notes. *Differs from all of the other importance conditions, p < .05. Error bars represent the standard error of the means.
Figure 4
Reaction times difference scores (baseline block RTs – test block RTs) as a function of importance instructions.
Notes. The lower reaction time difference, the higher the participants’ reaction time cost. *Differs from all of the other importance conditions, p < .05. Error bars represent the standard error of the means.
Figure 5
Parameter estimates of engaging the prospective component (P) and the retrospective component (M) of prospective memory as a function of importance instructions.
Notes. *The parameter estimates for P differs from all of the other importance conditions, p’ < .001; critical ΔG2 = 9.49. Error bars represent the standard error of the means.
Supplementary Table S1
Response category frequencies as a function of trial type and importance manipulations.
| IMPORTANCE INSTRUCTION CONDITION AND TRIAL TYPE | RESPONSE TYPE | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| MATCH | NONMATCH | PROSPECTIVE MEMORY | |
| Standard | |||
| Target, match | 44 | 7 | 52 |
| Target, nonmatch | 4 | 45 | 47 |
| Nontarget, match | 692 | 146 | 13 |
| Nontarget, nonmatch | 47 | 815 | 8 |
| Social motive | |||
| Target, match | 33 | 6 | 83 |
| Target, nonmatch | 25 | 4 | 68 |
| Nontarget, match | 656 | 157 | 10 |
| Nontarget, nonmatch | 61 | 806 | 11 |
| Monetary reward | |||
| Target, match | 32 | 6 | 65 |
| Target, nonmatch | 4 | 25 | 64 |
| Nontarget, match | 678 | 156 | 10 |
| Nontarget, nonmatch | 60 | 806 | 14 |
| Both | |||
| Target, match | 32 | 6 | 72 |
| Target, nonmatch | 3 | 26 | 54 |
| Nontarget, match | 706 | 157 | 10 |
| Nontarget, nonmatch | 32 | 806 | 16 |