Temporal dynamics: A systematic review and meta-analysis of time intervals in time-based prospective memory and their connection to time perception

Time-based prospective memory refers to the ability to remember activities at a specified future time. In our everyday lives, certain time-based tasks need to be completed within a short time period, while others are meant for a more distant future. We report the findings from two separate but related reviews regarding the temporal dynamics of time-based prospective memory. The first included a systematic and meta-analytic review of the impact of short versus long time intervals on the time-based prospective memory performance. Ninety-three comparisons were included in the first meta-analysis, revealing a medium effect size associated with time intervals on time-based prospective memory performance, indicating superior performance with shorter delay intervals. The second section of this report comprises a review and meta-analysis of the correlation between time-based prospective memory and individuals' perception of time. The findings from 18 comparisons in the second part of the study suggest a negative correlation between time-based prospective memory and time perception. In summary, the results of these reviews provide evidence of the influence of short and long time intervals on time-based prospective memory performance and highlights the connection between time-based prospective memory performance and individuals' time perception. The findings, which are considered in relation to theoretical explanations of time-based prospective memory, point to several avenues for future study.