Paul-B.-Baltes Lecture 2025

Titel:
Oh no! I forgot to ...' A lifespan perspective on the interplay of episodic memory, cognitive control and metacognition in everyday memory failures

Matthias Kliegel, Université de Genève

Abstract:
"Oh no! I forgot to …" – this familiar experience captures a fundamental challenge of human cognition: remembering to carry out intended actions in everyday life. The talk will present recent advancements in research on the lifespan development of prospective memory and its pivotal role in autonomy and independence across the lifespan. Evidence suggests that prospective memory failures are not trivial slips, but rather key determinants of both the rise and the decline of functional independence from childhood to old age.

Even with the proliferation of sophisticated technologies and AI-based reminder systems, everyday memory failures remain pervasive. The talk will highlight the importance of examining the interplay between episodic memory, cognitive control, and metacognition to understand why both memory and external reminders often fail and how they can be trained. Metacognitive monitoring and control will be emphasized as central mechanisms in this process.

In addition, novel paradigms for assessing cognition outside of the laboratory will be introduced, linking real-life prospective memory performance to sensor-based behavioral and health data. The presentation will integrate new empirical findings and outline a conceptual lifespan account demonstrating key neurocognitive targets for understanding prospective memory development and lifespan development of everyday cognition in general.

Die Paul-B.-Baltes Lecture geht auf eine gemeinsame Initiative der Psychologie-Institute in Berlin und Potsdam zurück (Freie Universität, Humboldt-Universität, Technische Universität, Universität Potsdam, Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung). Sie ehrt Paul B. Baltes, den ehemaligen Direktor am Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung in Berlin, für seine herausragenden Beiträge zur Psychologie der Lebensspanne sowie für seine Verdienste um die psychologische Forschung im Berlin-Potsdamer Raum.

Wir würden uns sehr freuen, Sie zur Paul-B.-Baltes Lecture 2025 und zum anschließeneden Empfang begrüßen zu dürfen.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen, auch im Auftrag der Initiativgruppe Paul-B.-Baltes Lecture und der Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.