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Originalartikel

Memory Complaints and Prospective Memory Performance across the Lifespan

Published Online:March 24, 2011https://doi.org/10.1024/1016-264X/a000028

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.


Subjektive Gedächtnisbeschwerden und prospektive Gedächtnisleistung über die Lebensspanne

Die Häufigkeit subjektiver prospektiver und retrospektiver Gedächtnisschwierigkeiten wurde anhand des Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ) in sechs Altersgruppen erhoben. Objektive prospektive Gedächtnisleistungen wurden in einer Standard-Laboraufgabe erfasst. Die Resultate zeigten für alle Altersgruppen mit Ausnahme der jungen Kinder subjektiv mehr prospektive als retrospektive Gedächtnisschwierigkeiten. Der Umfang insgesamt berichteter Gedächtnisschwierigkeiten war in den vier Erwachsenengruppen ähnlich hoch, während für die zwei Kindergruppen deutlicher weniger Beschwerden angegeben wurden. Dies könnte einerseits aufgrund einer Selbst-Fremd Einschätzungsverzerrung zustande gekommen sein oder darauf hinweisen, dass der PRMQ nicht geeignet ist um Gedächtnisbeschwerden von Kindern zu erfassen. Es ergaben sich in keiner Altersgruppe Korrelationen von subjektiven Gedächtnisbeschwerden und objektiven Leistungen ausser in der Gruppe älterer Kinder in welcher erstaunlicherweise mehr Beschwerden mit besserer Leistung einher gingen.

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