| Publication Abstract Display | | Type: Poster | | Title: Implications of Prospective Memory for Real-World Functioning: A Meta-Analysis. | | Authors: Woods SP, Doyle KL, Weber E, Kliegel M, Kao Y, Vaida F | | Date: 02-12-2014 | | Abstract:Objective: It is widely held that prospective memory (PM) plays an important role in real-world activities (e.g., medication adherence), but the empirical literature on this topic thus far has been somewhat inconsistent.
Method: A quantitative review of 32 studies with 2397 participants across healthy, medical, psychiatric, and neurological populations was conducted to determine the magnitude of the association between PM and real-world functioning, including general activities of daily living (ADL), medication adherence, quality of life (QoL), and engagement in risk behaviors.
Results: Random effects models revealed that both time-based (r = .26 [0.20, 0.31]) and event-based (r = .24 [0.19, 0.29]) PM were significantly associated with real-world functioning outcomes in the expected directions (ps < .0001). With regard to the different types of real-world outcomes, both time-based and event-based PM were significantly associated with ADL (rs = .24 and .28, respectively) and medication adherence (r = .22 and .19, respectively) (ps < .01); however, only time-based PM was significantly associated with QoL (r = .21, p = .03) and risk (r = .43, p < .0001).
Conclusions: This meta-analysis showed that both time- and event-based PM are significantly associated with real-world outcomes, with effect sizes in the small-to-medium range. That time-based PM was a stronger predictor of QoL and risk as compared to event-based PM suggest that PM’s role in everyday life may vary based on the strategic versus automatic capacity and demands of the individual and the everyday functioning outcome, respectively. Future studies regarding the potentially moderating influence of compensatory strategies, motivation, and clinical co-factors (e.g., depression) are warranted to guide ongoing efforts to design effective PM-based interventions to improve real-world outcomes in neuropsychological populations. |
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