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Comparisons of eye movements and matched changing visual input.
Samuel W Onderdonk1, Marcel A van den Hout1
1Social and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
|September 25, 2016
Summary
Eye movements (EM) in EMDR therapy tax working memory (WM) more than visual stimuli alone, reducing memory vividness. This suggests EMDR
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Trauma Therapy Research
Background:
- Eye movements (EM) during EMDR therapy are thought to reduce memory vividness by occupying working memory (WM).
- This proposed mechanism, called cognitive interference (CVI), suggests visual stimulus alone during EM could cause this effect.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effects of EM on memory recall with a control task involving identical visual stimuli but no eye movement.
- To differentiate the impact of EM-related WM taxation from simple visual stimulus processing on memory.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Measured reaction time (RT) during EM and a visually identical stimulus (CVI) task.
- Study 2: Assessed memory vividness and emotionality during EM and CVI tasks while participants recalled negative memories.
Main Results:
- EM significantly slowed reaction time compared to CVI and control conditions.
- EM led to significant decreases in memory vividness and emotionality, unlike CVI which showed minimal effect.
Conclusions:
- Eye movements, not just visual stimuli, significantly tax working memory resources.
- The therapeutic effects of EMDR are attributed to more than just occupying WM with visual input; the motor component is crucial.
