Effects of cue frequency and repetition on prospective memory: An ERP investigation

• Explored effect of target frequency and repetition on neural mechanisms of PM.
• The factors showed interactions for prospective positivity and frontal positivity.
• Results have practical implications for researchers in the field.

Prospective memory involves the formation and completion of delayed intentions and is essential for independent living. In this study (n = 33), event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to systematically evaluate the effects of PM cue frequency (10% versus 30%) and PM cue repetition (high versus low) on ERP modulations. PM cues elicited prospective positivity and frontal positivity but not N300, perhaps due to the semantic nature of the task. Results of this study revealed an interesting interaction between PM cue frequency and PM cue repetition for prospective positivity and frontal positivity, highlighting the importance of taking both factors into account when designing future studies.