The contribution of eye movements to memory retrieval depends on the visual input

When attempting to recall previously seen visual information, people often move their eyes to the same locations where they initially viewed it. These eye-movements are thought to serve a role in enhancing memory retrieval, although the exact mechanism underlying this effect is yet unknown. To investigate this link between eye-movements and memory, we conducted an experiment with 80 adult participants. Participants were asked to perform a memory retrieval task, while viewing either the same visual context as during encoding or an altered one. Results: showed that the benefit of eye movements to memory retrieval was dependent on the visual input. This suggests that the contribution of eye-movements to memory may not be from the motor behavior itself, but from its visual consequences. Our findings thus challenge the hypothesis that eye movements act as a motor retrieval cue and support the view that their visual consequences act as a sensory one. Statement of Relevance An intriguing question in cognition is how humans encode memorized material and what helps them retrieve it. It is known that when an action or stimulus is repeated both when information is encoded and when it is retrieved, this can act as a ‘retrieval cue’ and enhance memory performance. It is also known that people tend to reenact the same eye movements during retrieval as they did during encoding, and this behavior is associated with higher memory performance. This has led to the hypothesis that eye movements act as a retrieval cue. However, we challenge this hypothesis by showing that the visual consequences of eye movements, rather than the motor action that accompanies them, is the key factor for memory enhancement. Understanding the factors that influence memory provides crucial insight into the relationship between external behaviors and internal memory processes, leading to significant implications for the educational and clinical settings.