Determining a Correlation Between Individual Differences In Eye Movements and Working Memory

This study determined if a relationship exists between individual differences in eye movements and working memory measures. The eye movement system can provide insight into processes that occur in the mind as well as a better understanding of the relationship between quantifiable aspects of eye movements and the more abstract inner workings of the mind. Recently, consistent and reliable individual differences have been found in individuals’ eye movement behaviors. For example, individuals with longer fixation durations for one visual task have longer fixations across all other visual tasks. The eye movements of participants were collected during four different viewing tasks in addition to data from two independent working memory tests (running span and automated operation span). The data showed a negative correlation between the operation span scores and eye movements during the reading task. These results suggest that the working memory system may have some influence over individual differences in eye movement behavior.