Prospective memory (PM) is memory for delayed intentions. Despite its importance to
everyday life, the few studies on PM function in adults with dyslexia which exist have
relied on self-report measures. To determine whether self-reported PM deficits can be
measured objectively, laboratory-based PM tasks were administered to 24 adults with
dyslexia and 25 age- and IQ-matched adults without dyslexia. Self-report data indicated
that people with dyslexia felt that time-based PM (TBPM; requiring responses at certain
times in the future) was most problematic for them and so this form of PM was the focus of
investigation. Whilst performing the ongoing task from which they were required to break
out every 3 min to make a PM-related response, the participants were allowed to make
clock checks whenever they wished. The cognitive demands made on ongoing behaviour
were manipulated to determine whether loading executive resources had a mediating role
in dyslexia-related deficits in PM, resulting in three tasks with varying working memory
load. A semi-naturalistic TBPM task was also administered, in which the participants were
asked to remind the experimenter to save a data file 40 min after being given this
instruction. Dyslexia-related differences were found across all three computerized tasks,
regardless of cognitive load. The adults with dyslexia made fewer correct PM responses
and also fewer clock checks. On the semi-naturalistic task, the participants with dyslexia
were less likely to remember to remind the experimenter to save the file. This is the first
study to document PM deficits in dyslexia using objective measures of performance. Since
TBPM impairments were found under more naturalistic conditions as well as on
computerized tasks, the results have implications for workplace support for adults with
dyslexia.
2015 Elsevier