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Forgetfulness

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Summary

  • Missed tasks can reflect unclear plans or failure to recall an action on time, rather than loss of the whole memory.
  • An adult study found poorer timed actions, but not event-cued ones; this does not mean all memory is poor.

Missed actions can start with an unclear plan

Proposed in research

Missing an agreed action does not always mean forgetting what was agreed. An adult experiment separated planning, recalling the plan, starting without prompting, and carrying it out. The attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) group’s greatest difficulty was in planning; group differences in the other stages were small or nearly absent(Fuermaier et al., 2013).

When reviewing a missed action, it helps to distinguish remembering the agreement from having worked out how to carry it out.

Remembering at a set time can differ from remembering with a cue

Proposed in research

In an adult experiment, participants made a simulated breakfast while also carrying out extra agreed actions. The study found no group difference for actions prompted by specific events or objects. For actions required at set times, the ADHD group performed worse(Altgassen et al., 2012).

This difference means that missing timed actions does not necessarily imply difficulty remembering to act when a cue appears.

Even after checking the time, the moment to act can be missed

Proposed in research

In child experiments, the ADHD groups more often missed actions required at set times(Zinke et al., 2010; Mioni et al., 2016). Yet one study found no group difference in the overall frequency or accuracy of time checks(Zinke et al., 2010).

At least in that child experiment, missed actions could not simply be attributed to failing to check the time. Checking the time and remembering to act when the moment arrives are separate things.

Evidence

References (4)
  1. Cohort studyComplex prospective memory in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorderFuermaier ABM, Tucha L, Koerts J, Aschenbrenner S, Westermann C, Weisbrod M, Lange KW, Tucha O (2013). PLOS ONE
  2. Cohort studyTask Dissociation in Prospective Memory Performance in Individuals With ADHDAltgassen M, Kretschmer A, Kliegel M (2012). Journal of Attention Disorders
  3. Cohort studyTime-Based Prospective Memory Performance and Time-Monitoring in Children with ADHDZinke K, Altgassen M, Mackinlay RJ, Rizzo P, Drechsler R, Kliegel M (2010). Child Neuropsychology
  4. Cohort studyTime-based prospective memory difficulties in children with ADHD and the role of time perception and working memoryMioni G, Santon S, Stablum F, Cornoldi C (2016). Child Neuropsychology