Rebekah Smith, chair and professor of psychology, was one of eight speakers at an international workshop, Mechanisms of Intentions, at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Prospective memory, also called delayed intentions, is the main focus of Smith’s research. Examples include remembering to take medicine, turn off the stove, or make a phone call.
“When we hear the word memory, we usually think of recalling information from the past,” she said. “Another important function of memory is more forward looking and underlies our ability to remember to perform an intended action in the future.” The goal of the interdisciplinary program is to further understanding of how humans remember to perform these actions while also discussing issues of agency, control, and the debate over free will. “It is a wonderful opportunity to share ideas with leading researchers in philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience.”
