Metamemory is commonly defined as the comprehension of one's own memory, encompassing monitoring and control mechanisms that enable individuals to regulate their memory processes and content. Research in this domain has gained significance due to previous studies suggesting potential links between metamemory abilities and subjective memory complaints. This is especially relevant in the context of aging, where complaints about memory are frequent, pertaining to both retrospective memory (RM) and prospective memory (PM). This study aimed to investigate age-related differences in the capacity to predict performance on both RM and PM tasks.

The study included a sample of younger (N = 26) and older (N = 33) participants. Based on navigation in a virtual urban environment composed of specific areas, participants completed a RM task (memorizing as many elements as possible, their perceptual details, and spatio-temporal contexts), followed by a PM task (involving event-based, task-based, and action-based intentions). Metamemory was measured by asking participants to predict their performance before completing the RM and the PM tasks.

In terms of performance, the results indicate that there is a significant difference between younger and older adults in RM and in PM scores. This suggests that, overall, younger participants are performing better than older adults on both memory tasks. Regarding metamemory, an age-related effect on performance prediction was observed for RM. Older adults predicted significantly lower memory performance compared to younger participants, particularly concerning the recall of details and spatial context. However, in the context of the PM task, no significant difference in performance prediction was found between the two age groups. This indicates that younger and older participants reported similar PM abilities.

These findings suggest that when employing an ecological memory assessment through virtual reality, older adults may exhibit limited metacognitive insights regarding their capacity to remember and execute planned actions, i.e., PM. This stands in contrast to metamemory associated with the ability to recollect past elements, including specific details such as time, location, or perceptual elements, i.e., RM.