Effect of eye movements on trauma memory

Sabine Schönfeld, Evangelische Hochschule Dresden/Dept. of Psychology, Lund University
Roger Johansson, Dept. of Psychology, Lund University
Marcus Nyström, Lund University Humanities Lab, Lund University

This project investigates the role of an individual’s eye movements when forming and remembering distressing memories. Since previous research has highlighted the importance of eye movement behavior in the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it is important to understand the underlying mechanisms and how they interact with other potential risk factors for PTSD. Preliminary results support the validity of using eye-tracking to investigate these phenomena and indicate interesting interactions between eye movements, memory experiences and individual differences in risk factors for PTSD.