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Remembering a location makes the eyes curve away
Jan Theeuwes1, Christian N L Olivers, Christopher L Chizk
1Vrije Universiteit, Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.theeuwes@psy.vu.nl
Psychological Science
|March 1, 2005
Summary
Maintaining spatial working memory influences eye movement trajectories. The eyes curve away from remembered locations, suggesting an overlap between memory and the eye movement system.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Working memory actively maintains information for cognitive processes, crucial for daily activities.
- The eye movement system is essential for visual perception and interaction with the environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of spatial working memory on saccadic eye movement trajectories.
- To provide evidence for the interaction between spatial working memory and the oculomotor system.
Main Methods:
- Participants maintained a location in spatial working memory.
- Saccadic eye movements toward visual targets were recorded and analyzed for trajectory deviations.
Main Results:
- Maintaining a location in spatial working memory caused saccadic eye movements to deviate away from the remembered location.
- This deviation indicates a direct overlap between spatial working memory and the eye movement system.
Conclusions:
- Spatial working memory actively influences eye movement generation.
- The observed eye movement curvature may result from inhibiting memory-based activity in the superior colliculus for accurate saccades.