ABSTRACT
Reasons for prospective remembering and forgetting after traumatic brain injury (TBI) were investigated using Ellis' (1996) five phases of prospective memory as a framework. Participants were 38 individuals with severe TBI and 34 controls. Participants self-rated their perceived reasons for prospective remembering and forgetting using section C of the Comprehensive Assessment of Prospective Memory (CAPM). Significant others also rated participants using the same scale. Analyses were conducted to examine the effect of group membership (TBI or control) on reported reasons for prospective remembering and forgetting. Findings highlighted the TBI group's difficulties with encoding, performance interval, and execution phases of prospective remembering.
Subject(s)
Awareness/physiology , Brain Injuries/physiopathology , Memory Disorders/etiology , Memory Disorders/psychology , Memory/physiology , Self-Assessment , Adolescent , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Neuropsychological TestsABSTRACT
The frequency of prospective memory failure in individuals with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) was investigated by comparison with a non-brain-injured control group. Self-awareness of prospective memory function was also assessed by comparing self-ratings with ratings by significant others. Study participants included 33 individuals with severe TBI and 29 non-brain-injured persons. Each participant nominated a close friend or relative who completed the informant's version of the questionnaire. Participants and their significant others both rated the participants' frequency of prospective memory lapses using the Comprehensive Assessment of Prospective Memory (CAPM). An independent groups design was adopted to compare the TBI and control groups. No significant difference was found between the TBI and control participants' self-ratings of frequency of prospective memory failure, but ratings by significant others were significantly different. The TBI group demonstrated less self-awareness (i.e. underestimated the frequency of prospective memory failure compared to significant others) than the control group.