Planning vs. Implementation: how compensatory strategies influence prospective memory success in older adults with subjective cognitive concerns
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Older adults with subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) report memory difficulties that may signal future cognitive decline. This study examined how compensatory strategies impact prospective memory-the ability to remember future intentions-in this at-risk group. We evaluated the performance of 296 older adults with SCC on short-term (<30 minutes) and long-term (hours to days) time- and event-based prospective memory tasks, tracking both planned and implemented (used) compensatory strategies (e.g. written note, phone alarm). For short-term tasks, both planned and used compensation significantly predicted performance on an event-based task, whereas only compensation used at the time of task execution-such as referring to a clock-predicted success on a time-based task. These benefits of compensation were significant even when accounting for global cognition. Furthermore, planned strategies for short-term tasks strongly predicted the strategies that participants actually used, highlighting the importance of initial planning. Compensatory strategies that significantly predicted performance included writing a note, placing the note in a visible location, and entering information into an electronic device. Neither cognition nor planned compensation predicted long-term prospective memory performance, suggesting that prospective memory success in this population may depend more on the effective implementation of strategies in daily life (which we could not observe) and/or environmental support than on cognitive abilities. These results highlight a significant opportunity for clinical intervention. Training individuals with SCC to effectively plan and implement compensatory strategies represents a non-pharmacological approach to mitigating everyday prospective memory challenges and preserving functional independence.
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7225742681