Transfer appropriate processing for prospective memory tests

Transfer appropriate processing (TAP) is the assumption that retrospective memory test performance reflects the overlap between study and test phase p rocessing. In a task analysis, we identify a similar sequential-type of pro cessing overlap in prospective memory (ProM) situations. In addition, ProM test performance can also involve a concurrent overlap between processes en gaged for an ongoing task and those required for recognizing relevant cues. A review of the ProM literature shows consistent TAP effects due to sequen tial processing overlap manipulations, but inconclusive findings for concur rent processing overlap manipulations. We examined the latter in a new expe riment with young adult participants. The ongoing task required either sema ntic or perceptual processing of words, and the ProM task required either s emantic or perceptual processing of words. Consistent with TAP, performance was higher when the ongoing task and the ProM task required the same kind of processing (i.e. semantic-semantic, perceptual-perceptual) rather than d ifferent kinds of processing (i.e. semantic-perceptual, perceptual-semantic ). Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.