Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington have identified a link between pupil dilation and working memory performance.
Working memory is a short-term memory that stores information temporarily during the completion of tasks such as problem-solving and reasoning.
179 undergraduate students at the university participated in various working memory tasks and their pupils were continuously monitored using an eye tracker.
In the study, individuals whose pupils dilated more during cognitive tasks demonstrated superior working memory abilities.
This study suggests that the degree of pupil dilation is a non-invasive indicator of cognitive and memory capability.
According to the study, the individuals with more consistent attention may have greater pupil dilation and can perform better on memory tasks.