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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2025

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Published on: March 18, 2019

Microsaccades Track Location-Based Object Rehearsal in Visual Working Memory.

Eelke de Vries¹, Freek van Ede¹

¹Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands e3.de.vries@vu.nl freek.van.ede@vu.nl.

|January 4, 2024

Summary

The brain

Keywords:

attention eye movements microsaccades oculomotor system task-dependent visual working memory

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Last Updated: Jul 6, 2025

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

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Published on: March 18, 2019

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Ophthalmology
Psychology

Background:

The oculomotor system controls eye movements.
It is also involved in spatial attention and working memory.
The role in rehearsing visual objects in working memory is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate oculomotor system's role in rehearsing visual objects in working memory.
Determine if location is incidentally used for mnemonic rehearsal.
Examine microsaccade direction biases during memory tasks.

Main Methods:

Participants maintained visual objects in working memory.
Microsaccade directions were tracked during memory delay.
Stimulus configuration (horizontal, diagonal, vertical) was varied.

Main Results:

Microsaccades showed directional bias along the memory content's axis.
This bias persisted for several seconds into the working memory delay.
The bias was specific to memory demands, not encoding effects.

Conclusions:

The oculomotor system is involved in rehearsing visual objects in working memory.
Incidental use of object locations for mnemonic rehearsal was demonstrated.
Microsaccade direction analysis reveals oculomotor-driven spatial rehearsal.