Commercial memory aids

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Abstract
This article examines the psychological properties of commercial memory aids, i. e. products whose primary purpose is either to facilitate performance (a memory prosthetic), correct memory errors (a memory‐failure corrective device) or perform a memory task (a memory‐task robot). An analysis of 74 kinds of commerical memory aids indicated that they help memory in a specific manner, i. e. by assisting performance of a particular task (e. g. remembering what to buy, when to meet someone) which arises in a certain context (e. g. shopping, making phone calls, keeping obligations) and which involves a certain type of content (e. g. knowledge, event, intention, location, possession). Thus, commercial memory aids apear to vary in effectiveness according to the appropriateness of an aid for the task and content to which the aid is applied. It remains for clinical observation and validity tests to determine whether the effectiveness of these aids is broader or narrower than what advertisements claim for them.

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