Prospective Memory: The Effect of Divided Attention While Encoding Intention on Spontaneous Retrieval

Abstract

Prospective memory (PM) refers to the ability to remember to perform intended actions in the future. Failures in PM, such as forgetting to carry out planned activities, can lead to serious consequences in daily life. Although PM failures have been extensively studied, the role of divided attention during intention formation remains underexplored. This study investigates the effect of divided attention during intention formation on spontaneous retrieval among undergraduates at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). 11 female psychology undergraduates participated in this experimental, between-subjects study. Participants were assigned to either a divided attention or a non-divided attention condition during the formation of an intention, followed by a prospective memory task. Spontaneous retrieval was measured by using the PM task performance, which used a binary scoring system, where successful retrieval was coded as 1 and failure as 0. Although the hypothesis—that divided attention would impair spontaneous retrieval—was not statistically supported, the observed trend aligned with theoretical expectations. Due to the need for refinement in the methodology, findings remain inconclusive but offer a valuable foundation for future research.