Are Parents Good Judges of Their Children’s Prospective Memory? Correspondence Between Parental Reports and Task Performance in Early School-Aged Children

Abstract

Prospective memory, defined as the ability to remember to perform intended actions in the future, plays an important role in children’s everyday functioning, their gradual development of independence, and their ability to meet increasing educational demands. As children enter formal education, expectations regarding their ability to manage prospective tasks increase significantly. Despite growing research in this area, relatively little is known about how parental reports correspond with children’s performance on prospective memory tasks.
The present study aims to examine the correspondence between parental reports and children’s task performance in early school-aged children. Particular attention is given to potential discrepancies between different sources of data, which may reflect complementary aspects of children’s functioning rather than simple inaccuracy.
The study involves children aged 6-7 years from diverse educational settings. A multi-method approach is used, combining performance-based assessment with caregiver-reported measures of children’s everyday prospective memory and broader everyday functioning. Additional cognitive factors relevant to goal-directed behaviour are considered to provide a broader developmental context.
Data collection is ongoing. The poster will present the study rationale, methodological framework, and preliminary observations, with particular emphasis on the relationships between different sources of data and their implications for educational practice and parent-child interactions. The project is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the role of parental perception in shaping developmental and educational outcomes.