ABSTRACT
Experimental data show that when animals are interrupted while executing a task, they optimize the use of prospective memory and retrospective memory in order to improve the performance of the task. Preliminary experimental results concerning memory load optimization in humans show a similar behavioral pattern. The chapter introduces a computational model that describes how animals can achieve memory load optimization. The model contains a retrospective memory, a prospective memory and a mechanism for deciding which memory is used for producing action. The computer simulations suggest that prospective memory decays faster than retrospective memory. This might happen because prospective memory is not used as often as retrospective memory. Prospective memory can be used only when a complete representation of the task exists in memory.
