Saccade Induced Retrieval Enhancement, Handedness & the Retrieval of Central & Peripheral Details in Eyewitness Memory

Abstract

Two experiments are presented that investigated the effects of horizontal saccadic eye movements and handedness on eyewitness memory for central and peripheral information. In both experiments, participants viewed a short video depicting a bank robbery and episodic memory was tested after a short delay. Experiment 1 used recognition memory and found an interaction between eye movement, handedness and type of information recalled. This indicated that eye movements enhanced memory to a greater extent for peripheral information for individuals classified as consistently handed. Experiment 2 used free-recall and found eye movement enhancement effects of similar magnitude for central and peripheral items. A similar pattern of eye movement effects was observed for both consistent and inconsistent-handed individuals. Inconsistent handers also had superior memory overall. The results are discussed in terms of theoretical accounts of eye movement effects and implications for the enhancement of eyewitness memory.