Paul-B.-Baltes Lecture 2025

Title:
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.

The Paul B. Baltes Lecture is a joint initiative of the psychology institutes in Berlin and Potsdam (Freie Universität, Humboldt-Universität, Technische Universität, Universität Potsdam, Max Planck Institute for Human Development). It honors Paul B. Baltes, the former director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, for his outstanding contributions to the psychology of the lifespan and for his services to psychological research in the Berlin-Potsdam area.

We would be delighted to welcome you to the Paul B. Baltes Lecture 2025 and the reception afterwards.
With best wishes, also on behalf of the Paul B. Baltes Lecture initiative group and the BBAW.