Abstract: Time-based Prospective Memory is the task of remembering to do something at some point in the future or after a specified time interval. Compared with the event-based Prospective Memory, time-based Prospective Memory needs more self-initiated and controlled attentional resources, and is influenced by the importance of the Prospective Memory task, age, the character of ongoing task, and time interval et al. Time-based Prospective is associated with the frontal lobe. Test-Wait-Test-Exit Model, and Attentional-Gate Model serve as the theoretical explanations for time-based Prospective Memory. However, its influencing factors as well as the mechanism, in particular the mechanism of neural research still needs further study.

Key words: time-based prospective memory, self-initiation, time-monitor, cognitive mechanism, neural mechanism