Memory complaints and prospective memory performance across the lifespan

Abstract

The frequency of prospective and retrospective memory failures from six age groups was gathered using the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ). Objective performance measures were obtained with a laboratory prospective memory task. Findings revealed more prospective than retrospective memory complaints in all age groups except in young children. While overall reported memory failures were similar in the adult groups, fewer failures were reported for the two children groups. This might either be explained by a self-other rater bias or by the PRMQ not being well suited to assess memory failures of children. No correlations of complaints with performance measures were found in either age group except in older children for whom surprisingly more complaints were related to better performance.