Fluid mechanics moderate the effect of implementation intentions on a health prospective memory task in older adults

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to test if a cognitive strategy improves older adults' prospective memory performance in a naturalistic health task. Moreover, it was tested if a possible strategy effect is moderated by individual differences. Therefore, a group of older adults was asked to perform a task taken from the medication adherence literature (i.e., blood pressure monitoring). Half of them were asked to form implementation intentions. Additionally, crystallized pragmatics and fluid mechanics, conscientiousness, self-efficacy, and lifestyle factors were assessed as possible moderators. Results showed a strong positive strategy effect on prospective memory. Moreover, the effect was qualified by a significant interaction and only emerged for participants with low levels in fluid mechanics. No other moderator showed an effect. In conclusion, an enhancing effect of implementation intentions on prospective memory seems to be dependent on individual differences in cognitive capacity and less related to key motivational or personality variables.

Improving Older Adults’ Working Memory: the Influence of Age and Crystallized Intelligence on Training Outcomes

“…Cognitive reserve describes the potential to compensate for age-related changes (e.g., age-related decline) through (lifelong) intellectual activities and environmental factors (Barulli and Stern 2013;Stern 2002). Our findings suggest that working memory training can be especially beneficial for older adults with reduced preconditions such as lower levels of crystallized intelligence (see also Brom et al 2014 for a similar finding on fluid intelligence).…”

Improving everyday prospective memory performance in older adults: Comparing cognitive process and strategy training.

“…Moreover, relating our findings to the meta-analytic result for implementation intentions on health behavior by Gollwitzer and Sheeran (2006;d ϭ .59 [k ϭ 23]), our effect displays a similar strength. This is only the fourth study to investigate and reveal this effect of the implementation intention strategy on a real-life prospective memory task in old age, and therefore in concert with the previous studies (Bélanger-Gravel et al, 2013;Brom et al, 2013;Liu & Park, 2004) allowing a more generalized conclusion on the efficiency of the implementation intention strategy for older adults.…”

“…Sessions 1 and 2 served as pre-and posttest assessment for the task-switching 1 Sample size was based on effect sizes from previous single intervention studies using either process training (e.g., Karbach & Kray, 2009;Zinke et al, 2012) or strategy training (Brom et al, 2013). This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.…”

Investigating how implementation intentions improve non-focal prospective memory tasks

“…For instance, failing to remember to perform a task after being asked to do so by a spouse or boss can, at the very least, lead to irritation and could lead to even more unpleasant outcomes. Thus, improving the ability to remember to perform these tasks could have important benefits in many situations and prior research has shown that PM can be improved through the application of a self-regulatory strategy known as implementation intentions (Brewer & Marsh, 2010; Brom, Schnitzspahn, Melzer, Franziska, & Kliegel, in press; Chasteen, Park, & Schwarz, 2001; Liu & Park, 2004; McDaniel, Howard, & Butler, 2008; McDaniel & Scullin, 2010; McFarland & Glisky, 2011, 2012; Meeks & Marsh, 2010; Schnitzspahn & Kliegel, 2009). …”