Abstract
Repetitive saccades benefit memory when executed before retrieval, with greatest effects for episodic memory in consistent-handers. Questions remain including how saccades affect scene memory, an important visual component of episodic memory. The present study tested how repetitive saccades affect working and recognition memory for novel scenes. Handedness direction (left–right) and degree (strong/consistent vs. mixed/inconsistent) was measured by raw and absolute laterality quotients respectively from an 8-question handedness inventory completed by 111 adults. Each then performed either 30 s of repetitive horizontal saccades or fixation before or after tasks of scene working memory and scene recognition. Regression with criterion variables of overall percent correct accuracy and d-prime sensitivity showed that when saccades were made before working memory, there was better overall accuracy as a function of increased direction but not degree of handedness. Subjects who made saccades before working memory also performed worse during subsequent recognition memory, while subjects who fixated or made saccades after the working memory task performed better. Saccades made before recognition resulted in recognition accuracy that was better (Cohen’s d = 0.3729), but not significantly different from fixation before recognition. The results demonstrate saccades and handedness interact to affect scene memory with larger effects on encoding than recognition. Saccades before scene encoding in working memory are detrimental to short- and long-term memory, especially for those who are not consistently right-handed, while saccade execution before scene recognition does not appear to benefit recognition accuracy. The findings are discussed with respect to theories of interhemispheric interaction and control of visuospatial attention.
Highlights
Saccade induced retrieval enhancementAs few as thirty seconds of horizontal bilateral saccadic eye movements before testing selectively enhances explicit memory, most notably episodic memory retrieval for laboratory and everyday events (Christman et al, 2003)
Linear regression was used to quantify the relationship between working memory performance, as measured by both percent correct accuracy and d-prime, and direction of laterality as a function of the eye task
Similar tests were used to assess the relationship between the dependent measures and the degree of laterality, indicating consistency of handedness, using the absolute value of the laterality quotient
Summary
As few as thirty seconds of horizontal bilateral saccadic eye movements before testing selectively enhances explicit memory, most notably episodic memory retrieval for laboratory and everyday events (Christman et al, 2003). This has been termed saccade induced retrieval enhancement (SIRE) by Lyle, Logan & Roediger 3rd (2008). One hypothesis is that horizontal eye movements enhance interhemispheric interaction, which is associated with superior episodic memory (Christman & Propper, 2001). Increased interhemispheric interaction has been related to decreased false memories in a semantic associates paradigm (Christman, Propper & Dion, 2004)
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