Visual Cognition ISSN: 1350-6285 (Print) 1464-0716 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/pvis20 Investigating the parameters of transsaccadic memory: inhibition of return impedes information acquisition near a saccade target Martijn J. Schut, Jasper H. Fabius & Stefan Van der Stigchel To cite this article: Martijn J. Schut, Jasper H. Fabius & Stefan Van der Stigchel (2016) Investigating the parameters of transsaccadic memory: inhibition of return impedes information acquisition near a saccade target, Visual Cognition, 24:2, 141-154, DOI: 10.1080/13506285.2016.1206050 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13506285.2016.1206050 Published online: 18 Jul 2016. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 44 View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=pvis20 Download by: [University Library Utrecht] Date: 20 September 2016, At: 00:11 VISUAL COGNITION, 2016 VOL. 24, NO. 2, 141–154 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13506285.2016.1206050 Investigating the parameters of transsaccadic memory: inhibition of return impedes information acquisition near a saccade target Martijn J. Schut, Jasper H. Fabius and Stefan Van der Stigchel Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY A limited amount of visual information is retained between saccades, which is subsequently stored Received 7 March 2016 into a memory system, such as transsaccadic memory. Since the capacity of transsaccadic memory Revised 13 June 2016 is limited, selection of information is crucial. Selection of relevant information is modulated by Accepted 15 June 2016 attentional processes such as the presaccadic shift of attention. This involuntary shift of attention KEYWORDS occurs prior to execution of the saccade and leads to information acquisition at an intended fl Inhibition of return; saccade target. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in uence that another transsaccadic memory; attentional effect, inhibition of return (IOR), has on the information that gets stored into presaccadic shift of attention transsaccadic memory. IOR is the phenomenon where participants are slower to respond to a cue at a previously attended location. To this end, we used a transsaccadic memory paradigm in which stimuli, oriented on a horizontal axis relative to saccade direction, are only visible to the participant before executing a saccade. Previous research showed that items in close proximity to a saccade target are likely to be reported more accurately. In our current study, participants were cued to fixate one of the stimulus locations and subsequently refixated the centre fixation point before executing the transsaccadic memory task. Results indicate that information at a location near a saccade landing point is less likely to be acquired into transsaccadic memory when this location was previously associated with IOR. Furthermore, we found evidence which implicates a reduction of the overall amount of elements retained in transsaccadic memory when a location near a saccade target is associated with IOR. These results suggest that the presaccadic shift of attention may be modulated by IOR and thereby reduces information acquisition by transsaccadic memory. The way our visual system deals with the challenge of The crucial factor to select relevant information for processing visual information across eye movements storage and subsequently store this information is (known as saccades) is both complex and fascinating. visual attention (Irwin & Gordon, 1998; Prime et al., While viewing a scene, the eyes saccade about three 2007). Johnson et al. (2008) concluded that visual times per second to foveate specific parts of the attention plays a general role in both maintaining scene for high acuity processing (Hollingworth & Hen- feature memory and binding features into represen- derson, 1998). One of the challenges of integrating tations of objects. After being selected, visual infor- visual information is the inability of the visual system mation is acquired in a memory storage, such as to process all information simultaneously (Wolfe, transsaccadic memory. Transsaccadic memory can 1994). Selection of visual information is therefore be loaded as a result from selection by endogenously crucial as we are only able to attend to a small orientated attention and by automatic, exogenous amount of information at any given time and unat- attention. For instance, before executing an eye move- tended information is lost (Wolfe, Reinecke, & Brawn, ment attention is shifted to the intended location of 2006). Loss of information can occur during different the eye movement (Deubel & Schneider, 1996; stages of visual processing and is especially true Hoffman & Subramaniam, 1995). This presaccadic whilst executing a saccade. Between saccades a shift of attention is thought to be involuntary and limited amount of objects are retained in a memory mandatory. Information at the intended target trace, known as transsaccadic memory (Bays & location of an eye movement is attended before the Husain, 2008; Irwin, 1991; Irwin & Gordon, 1998; movement is executed, due to the presaccadic shift Prime, Tsotsos, Keith, & Crawford, 2007). of attention (Deubel & Schneider, 1996; Irwin & CONTACT Martijn J. Schut [email protected] Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Heidelberglaan 1, Utrecht 3584 CS, The Netherlands © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group 142 M. J. SCHUT ET AL. Gordon, 1998). How the presaccadic shift of attention by IOR. Under normal circumstances, information in affects transsaccadic memory has been explored in the near proximity of a saccade target is typically the paradigm used by Irwin and Andrews (1996). In acquired into transsaccadic memory. We hypothesize this paradigm a stimulus array is presented before that when information is located near a saccade executing an eye movement. As the eye movement target at a location that is associated with IOR, that is cued, and subsequently executed, the stimulus is this information would be acquired into transsaccadic removed. Results showed that the information in memory to a lesser extent. As a consequence, infor- near proximity to the intended saccade target is mation at that particular location should be reported better acquired than information away from a less accurately. To test this hypothesis we used an saccade target, due to the presaccadic shift of adapted version of the original transsaccadic attention. memory paradigm by Irwin and Gordon (1998) Besides the presaccadic shift of attention, other where one of the stimulus locations was previously attentional processes may modulate information fixated by the participants. This paradigm allowed us acquisition by transsaccadic memory, yet these to investigate how IOR influences the overall amount factors still remain unknown. One particular candidate of items acquired in transsaccadic memory. If only is inhibition of return (IOR; see Posner & Cohen, 1984). the information that appears at a saccade goal is IOR has been described as an attentional effect where acquired due to presaccadic shift of attention and a slowed reaction time is observed to information at a IOR would reduce information acquisition we should previously attended location (Pratt, Hillis, & Gold, observe a reduction in overall number of items 2001). In the IOR paradigm by Posner and Cohen acquired by transsaccadic memory. However, if obser- (1984) the participants are presented with a cue, fol- vers have the ability to compensate for this proposed lowed by a target to which the participant responds. loss of information, by more accurately acquiring The presented cue is uninformative and draws atten- stimuli further away from the saccade target, the tion by its onset (exogenous cue). When the interval hypothesized effect of IOR would not decrease between cue presentation and target is short, a facili- overall transsaccadic memory capacity. tation of reaction time is observed. However, when this interval is relatively long a slowed reaction time is observed, resulting from attentional disengagement Experiment 1 (Castel, Pratt, & Craik, 2003; Posner & Cohen, 1984). Method Other than reaction time, IOR may also affect Participants sensory-perceptual processes and thereby influence performance on certain discrimination tasks (Reuter- Fourteen participants, 10 female, aged 19 to 35 (M = Lorenz, Jha, & Rosenquist, 1996). Research has indi- 23.3) from the Utrecht University community partici- cated a reduced ability for human observers to dis- pated for monetary compensation of 6 Euros per criminate contrast differences at a location hour. Participants completed 500 trials in a two and associated with IOR (Sapir, Jackson, Butler, Paul, & a half hour session. All participants reported normal Abrams, 2013). Yet, it is currently unclear how IOR or corrected-to-normal vision and were naïve to the modulates information acquisition across saccades purpose of the study. Written informed consent was by transsaccadic memory. Converging evidence obtained from all participants. The study was reviewed suggests that IOR is closely related to the oculomotor and approved by the Faculty Research Ethics Commit- system and that IOR and oculomotor activation are tee (FETC) of the University of Utrecht. integrally linked together (Hilchey, Klein, & Satel, 2014). As acquisition of information into transsaccadic