Schema-based predictive eye movements support sequential memory encoding

  1. Jiawen Huang  Is a corresponding author
  2. Isabel Velarde
  3. Wei Ji Ma
  4. Christopher Baldassano
  1. Columbia University, United States
  2. New York University, United States

Abstract

When forming a memory of an experience that is unfolding over time, we can use our schematic knowledge about the world (constructed based on many prior episodes) to predict what will transpire. We developed a novel paradigm to study how the development of a complex schema influences predictive processes during perception and impacts sequential memory. Participants learned to play a novel board game ('4-in-a-row') across six training sessions, and repeatedly performed a memory test in which they watched and recalled sequences of moves from the game. We found that participants gradually became better at remembering sequences from the game as their schema developed, driven by improved accuracy for schema-consistent moves. Eye tracking revealed that increased predictive eye movements during encoding, which were most prevalent in expert players, were associated with better memory. Our results identify prediction as a mechanism by which schematic knowledge can improve episodic memory.

Data availability

All the data is openly available through https://osf.io/29cpg/

The following data sets were generated

Article and author information

Author details

  1. Jiawen Huang

    Columbia University, New York, United States
    For correspondence
    jh4290@columbia.edu
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0003-1362-0412
  2. Isabel Velarde

    Columbia University, New York, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0001-5639-0907
  3. Wei Ji Ma

    Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-9835-9083
  4. Christopher Baldassano

    Columbia University, New York, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0003-3540-5019

Funding

Columbia University (Graduate Student Fellowship)

  • Jiawen Huang

Columbia University (start-up funding)

  • Christopher Baldassano

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Ethics

Human subjects: The experimental protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Columbia University. (AAAS0252) All participants were over 18 years of age with normal or corrected-to-normal vision, and gave informed consent.

Copyright

© 2023, Huang et al.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

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  1. Jiawen Huang
  2. Isabel Velarde
  3. Wei Ji Ma
  4. Christopher Baldassano
(2023)
Schema-based predictive eye movements support sequential memory encoding
eLife 12:e82599.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.82599

Share this article

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.82599

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