Figure 1. The Dynamic Multiprocess Framework.

Retrieval processes are shown to interact dynamically to support the prospective memory intentions of remembering to ship a package after work (Examples 1–2) and deliver a message to a colleague (Example 3). At the bottom of each example, monitoring is indicated by a bolded solid line, the absence of monitoring is indicated by a dashed line, and spontaneous retrievals are indicated by yellow spikes. In Example 1, there is a long retention interval that contains no incidental reminders or opportunities to ship the package, but during the drive home a mailbox spontaneously triggers memory of the intention to ship the package. The individual subsequently monitors for the post office, but then disengages the monitoring because there is not a post office nearby. Later encountering the post office spontaneously triggers retrieval of the intention to ship the package, and the individual completes that intention. In Example 2, intermittent reminders (e.g., cues related to the intention such as packing tape and shipping boxes) spontaneously trigger retrieval of the intention to ship the package but monitoring is not engaged because these retrievals occur while the individual is at work and does not have an opportunity to perform the intention (though it remains plausible that repeated retrievals may increases cue—intention associations and augment the probability of a later spontaneous retrieval; e.g., Ozgis, Rendell, & Henry, 2009; Svarras & NiedŸwieńska, 2011). When leaving work, the individual spontaneously retrieves the intention to ship the package and subsequently monitors, but no post office is encountered and therefore monitoring is disengaged. Later on the drive home, a mailbox spontaneously triggers retrieval of the intention and the individual monitors until a post office is shortly thereafter approached, and the package is shipped. Example 3 incorporates the idea of contextual variability (as present in the current study). An individual forms the intention to deliver a message to a colleague when seeing him that day. The individual does not monitor during periods of the day in which the colleague is not expected or present (coffee shop, auto repair shop), but spontaneously retrieves the intention when walking past the colleague’s cubicle. The individual then searches for the colleague in the workplace but does not see him and ceases to monitor. Later during the day, the individual goes to the gym and serendipitously encounters the colleague, which spontaneously triggers memory of the message.