Tracking Reactivation of Location Information during Memory Strategies: Insights from Eye Movements

Bhanap, Ruhi; Bartsch, Lea M.; Rosner, Agnes · 2025 · Crossref

DOI: 10.5334/joc.449

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Summary

This study investigates whether spatial location information is reactivated during verbal rehearsal, a process traditionally thought to engage only the phonological loop, compared to visual imagery, which is believed to engage the visuo-spatial sketchpad. The authors utilized the "Looking at Nothing" (LAN) effect—eye movements toward the original spatial locations of memorized items during retrieval—to test the hypothesis that rehearsal activates only item-specific information, whereas visual imagery activates both item and spatial information. The research aimed to determine if differences in memory performance between these strategies are driven by differential reactivation of spatial location data. In Experiment 1, 38 participants performed a working memory (WM) task involving the encoding of word pairs presented at distinct screen locations. Participants were instructed to use one of three strategies: visual imagery, articulatory rehearsal, or articulatory suppression, alongside a baseline condition with no specific instruction. Eye movements were tracked during a retrieval phase where item information was removed, leaving only empty spatial locations. Following the WM test, a distractor task was administered, and participants underwent a long-term memory (LTM) test. Compliance was verified through self-report, speech recording, and LTM performance metrics. Data analysis employed Bayesian Generalized Linear Models for accuracy and Ordered Beta Regression for eye-tracking fixation proportions. The results demonstrated that LAN occurred significantly during both visual imagery and articulatory rehearsal, indicating that spatial location information is reactivated in both strategies. This finding contradicts the theoretical assumption that rehearsal excludes spatial processing. While visual imagery yielded superior memory performance in both immediate WM and delayed LTM tests compared to rehearsal, the magnitude of LAN behavior was statistically equivalent across both strategies. This suggests that the memory benefits of visual imagery are not driven by a stronger reactivation of spatial location information than rehearsal. The authors note that a second experiment involving proactive interference was conducted to further explore mechanisms, but the provided text focuses on the initial finding that both strategies reactivate location information despite differing memory outcomes. The significance of these findings lies in challenging established models of working memory, such as Baddeley’s multicomponent model, which posit distinct buffers for verbal and spatial information. By showing that verbal rehearsal also triggers spatial reactivation via eye movements, the study suggests that item and location information may be more integrated than previously thought. Furthermore, the dissociation between LAN magnitude and memory performance implies that visual imagery enhances recall through mechanisms other than increased spatial activation, potentially involving distinct long-term memory trace strengths. This work provides empirical evidence that LAN is a robust indicator of spatial reactivation across diverse maintenance strategies, refining our understanding of how different mnemonic strategies engage cognitive resources.

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• eye movements scanning