How we use working memory (WM) as we move through our environment remains poorly understood, since most laboratory tasks rely on removing visual material while participants remain still. In two studies, we investigated the usage and properties of WM in virtual reality (VR), when reliance on working memory emerges as a natural consequence of interactions with the environment.

In the first study, we measured the trade-off between reliance on working memory and gathering information externally during immersive behaviour in an adapted VR object-copying task. Using gaze metrics to measure WM usage, we show that reliance on WM is low during natural behavior.

In the second study, we investigated the spatial frames in which information is held and selected in working memory following self-movement in immersive environments. Directional biases in gaze revealed the recruitment of more than one spatial frame for maintaining and selecting memoranda following self-movement. Together, our findings showcase a fundamental dependence on external information during ecological behaviour and bring the important realization that multiple spatial frames support immersive working memory. These findings highlight the importance of using immersive tasks to understand how cognitive processes unfold within natural behaviour.