Age-Differential Role of Gaze Reinstatement in Recognition Memory for Negative Visual Stimuli.

OBJECTIVES: While research has shown that the replay of encoding-specific gaze patterns during retrieval, known as gaze reinstatement, facilitates memory retrieval, little is known about whether it differentially associates with the negativity preference in memory (defined as enhanced memory for negative stimuli relative to neutral stimuli in this study) among younger and older adults. The present study aims to address this research gap.

METHODS: Thirty-three older adults (16 female; aged 58-69 years, M = 63.48, SD = 2.98) and 36 younger adults (10 female; aged 18-26 years, M = 20.39, SD = 1.57) completed a remember/know (R/K) recognition memory task involving negative and neutral pictures. Their eye movements were tracked during both the memory encoding and retrieval phases.

RESULTS: Younger and older adults had better memory for negative than neutral pictures. Older adults exhibited significantly stronger gaze reinstatement for negative than neutral stimuli, while this difference was nonsignificant in younger adults. Moreover, gaze reinstatement is positively linked to memory performance in both age groups.

DISCUSSION: The results suggest that gaze reinstatement may play age-differential roles in the negativity preference of memory. Negative valence may enhance gaze reinstatement, which improves subsequent recognition memory particularly among older adults. The finding contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the negativity preference of memory in different age groups.