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Prospective Memory

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Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology

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Synonyms

Realization of delayed intentions; Remembering to remember

Definition

Prospective memory (PM) refers to a person’s ability to remember to carry out intended actions in the future. This is in contrast to retrospective memory, the ability to recall or recognize previously learned materials. It is considered by some as an oxymoron because “prospective” and “memory” are combined to form a construct. Examples of PM include remembering to turn up for a health appointment and remembering to pay a bill.

Historical Background

The study of PM can be traced back to the everyday memory branch of memory research (the other branch is experimental memory). Although a number of pioneers of psychology (e.g., Freud 1901) have raised the idea of remembering to carry out intentions, PM research has been overshadowed by experimental psychologists who focused on the study of retrospective memory. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the study of PM was sparked by interest in everyday memory problems...

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References and Readings

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Griffith University, School of Psychology, Mt Gravatt Campus Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    David Ho Keung Shum

  2. School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Jennifer Fleming

Authors
  1. David Ho Keung Shum
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  2. Jennifer Fleming
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Ho Keung Shum .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

    Jeffrey S. Kreutzer

  2. Kessler Foundation, Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ, USA

    John DeLuca

  3. Independent Practice, Wynnewood, PA, USA

    Bruce Caplan

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Shum, D.H.K., Fleming, J. (2018). Prospective Memory. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1144

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