The aim of present study was to examine the relationship between the frequency of use of memory strategies and the performance of a prospective memory task. The frequency of use of memory strategies (Low or High) and the significance of the prospective memory task to the subjects (significant or non-significant) were manipulated. In Experiment l, the subjects were given a prospective memory task, i.e., sending e-mail on a designated day by their mobile phone. The results showed that although in the significant task group the performance of the prospective memory task in the Low memory strategy group was higher than that in the High group, these trends were reverse in the non-significant task group. These results suggested that the significance of the prospective memory task would have an influence on the relationship between the frequency of use of memory strategies and the performance of the prospective memory task. In Experiment 2, the subjects were asked to post a card on a designated day. The results were different from those in Experiment 1; the performances on the prospective memory task in Experiment 2 were higher than those in Experiment l. Also the performance on the prospective memory task in the significant task group was higher than that in the non-significant task group. The reasons for these incompatible results between the two experiments are discussed in terms of the accessibility of the communication tool.

Key words: prospective memory, the frequency of use of memory strategies, the significance of the intended act, sending e-mail