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

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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.

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Notes

  1. Moderator analyses with continuous moderator variables confirm the results of the median split approach. Specifically, only in the control group, a significant relation between fluid mechanics and prospective memory performance occurred (r = −0.42, p < 0.05). In contrast, for those adults who were given implementation intention instructions, no relation between fluid mechanics and prospective memory performance was found (r = 0.01). No other possible moderator showed a relation with prospective memory performance in one of the two experimental groups.

  2. Non-parametric test results confirm the interaction. While individuals with low and high levels of fluid mechanics differed significantly in their prospective memory performance in the control condition (U = 21.50, p < 0.05, r = −0.48), no significant performance difference was found between participants with high versus low levels of fluid mechanics in the implementation intentions group, U = 38.50, p = 0.89, r = −0.08.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany

    Sarah Susanne Brom, Marlen Melzer, Franziska Hagner & Anka Bernhard

  2. Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l’éducation, Université de Genève, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland

    Katharina Marlene Schnitzspahn & Matthias Kliegel

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  1. Sarah Susanne Brom
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  2. Katharina Marlene Schnitzspahn
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  3. Marlen Melzer
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  4. Franziska Hagner
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  5. Anka Bernhard
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  6. Matthias Kliegel
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Correspondence to Sarah Susanne Brom or Katharina Marlene Schnitzspahn.

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Responsible Editor: H.-W. Wahl.

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Brom, S.S., Schnitzspahn, K.M., Melzer, M. et al. Fluid mechanics moderate the effect of implementation intentions on a health prospective memory task in older adults. Eur J Ageing 11, 89–98 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-013-0288-2

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