Predicting long-term memory via pupillometry
Abstract Pupillometry research has established that pupil size reflects cognitive processes through autonomic nervous system activity, with high arousal triggering pupil dilation. Studies examining pupil size during encoding have yielded conflicting results regarding its relationship with subsequent...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09703-7 |
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| author | Oria Pitem Yaniv Mama |
| author_facet | Oria Pitem Yaniv Mama |
| author_sort | Oria Pitem |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Pupillometry research has established that pupil size reflects cognitive processes through autonomic nervous system activity, with high arousal triggering pupil dilation. Studies examining pupil size during encoding have yielded conflicting results regarding its relationship with subsequent memory performance, and few have investigated baseline pupil size. This study examined whether pupil diameter before and during stimulus presentation predicts memory performance. We hypothesized that successfully recalled words would be associated with larger pupils than forgotten words, based on the role of arousal and attention in memory formation. To test these hypotheses, we conducted two experiments in which we tracked ninety-five psychology students’ eyes while they performed a long-term memory test. The results depict larger pupil size while studying later successfully retrieved words. Interestingly, this phenomenon also occurs before word presentation (during baseline), which supports the “readiness to remember” (R2R) framework. This implies that pupillary changes while preparing to encode information can indicate later memory performance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a8e1c62987ee41d583e74d60caa502e9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-a8e1c62987ee41d583e74d60caa502e92025-08-20T03:45:28ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-011511810.1038/s41598-025-09703-7Predicting long-term memory via pupillometryOria Pitem0Yaniv Mama1Department of Psychology, Ariel UniversityDepartment of Psychology, Ariel UniversityAbstract Pupillometry research has established that pupil size reflects cognitive processes through autonomic nervous system activity, with high arousal triggering pupil dilation. Studies examining pupil size during encoding have yielded conflicting results regarding its relationship with subsequent memory performance, and few have investigated baseline pupil size. This study examined whether pupil diameter before and during stimulus presentation predicts memory performance. We hypothesized that successfully recalled words would be associated with larger pupils than forgotten words, based on the role of arousal and attention in memory formation. To test these hypotheses, we conducted two experiments in which we tracked ninety-five psychology students’ eyes while they performed a long-term memory test. The results depict larger pupil size while studying later successfully retrieved words. Interestingly, this phenomenon also occurs before word presentation (during baseline), which supports the “readiness to remember” (R2R) framework. This implies that pupillary changes while preparing to encode information can indicate later memory performance.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09703-7PupillometryAttentionLong-term memoryArousalEncoding |
| spellingShingle | Oria Pitem Yaniv Mama Predicting long-term memory via pupillometry Scientific Reports Pupillometry Attention Long-term memory Arousal Encoding |
| title | Predicting long-term memory via pupillometry |
| title_full | Predicting long-term memory via pupillometry |
| title_fullStr | Predicting long-term memory via pupillometry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Predicting long-term memory via pupillometry |
| title_short | Predicting long-term memory via pupillometry |
| title_sort | predicting long term memory via pupillometry |
| topic | Pupillometry Attention Long-term memory Arousal Encoding |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09703-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oriapitem predictinglongtermmemoryviapupillometry AT yanivmama predictinglongtermmemoryviapupillometry |