What makes eye movements effective retrieval cue: The contribution of visual and the motor components to memory performance

Abstract

During memory retrieval, people tend to reenact the same eye movements performed when memorized items were first displayed and to gaze at similar locations. This was hypothesized to reflect the role of eye movements as retrieval cues. However, it is unknown what is it about eye movements that makes them effective retrieval cues. Here, we examine, for the first time, the individual and combined contributions of the visual and the motor components of eye movements to memory retrieval. Results (N=70) revealed a non-additive benefit of both components of eye movements to memory performance. Additionally, we found that individuals who gained from one component, were more likely to gain from the other as well. Together, these findings unravel the central role of eye movements in episodic memory; they show how the visual and motor components are integrated into a single effective memory retrieval cue and how this integration varies among individuals.