Eye Movements and Their Role in Forgetting Processes
In this lab, we track eye-movements in order to investigate the underlying processes that are involved in forgetting . Eye-movements are a sensitive marker of memory, and expressions of memory can be observed even when behavioral responses indicate forgetting. Critically, we established eye movements as a novel marker that differentiates between incidental and intentional forms of forgetting. Incidental forgetting occurs when we forget despite our intention to remember, such as forgetting to send an email, or forgetting a hotel room number where we are staying. In contrast, intentional forgetting refers to those situations when we actively engage in processes to down-regulate an unwanted/undesired memory (i.e., purposeful forgetting). Our research indicates the viewing behavior is particularly sensitive to these two forms of forgetting, consistent with other neural findings that also differentiate between incidental and intentional forgetting. [PDF]