PPC is temporarily disrupted, especially the PPC of the right hemisphere, memory across saccades is significantly weakened. Disruption of the PPC leads to a reduction in the ability to store items from a span of three or four, to one item. Further research needs to be conducted in order to fully understand how the PPC is synthesized with object recognition within transsaccadic memory. Experiments Random dot pattern Irwin's early experiments tested participants ability to identify random dot patterns as the same, or as different across saccades. The control condition for this experiment presented dot patterns in the same spatial location without saccades, meaning participants had a single fixation point. A no-overlap control condition presented dot patterns in different spatial locations, while participants maintained fixation on one point. This tested the ability of visual short-term memory in identifying two individual patterns. The experimental condition showed dot patterns in the same spatial location but were viewed at separate fixations, forcing the use of transsaccadic memory. For the experimental condition, participants underwent a calibration phase, where they were shown five points in separate location to fixate on individually, for less than two seconds. The next phase presented a single fixation point for less than two seconds, which was followed by a random dot pattern presented in a different location, acting as a saccade target. The dot pattern disappeared when the saccade was initiated. Another dot pattern then appeared in the same location. Participants had to identify whether the two patterns were the same or different. Results of the experiment showed performance of the experimental condition to be slightly less accurate than the no-overlap condition. Irwin attributed this decrease in accuracy to the extra neural processes involved in performing an eye movement, combined with processing the dot pattern. He concluded from this that transsaccadic memory does exist, but that it is very similar if not identical to short term visual memory and less similar to sensory memory. Saccade target experiment The next step for Irwin was to determine if transsaccadic memory is tied to spatial position. He performed experiments using dot patterns and later, performed the same type of experiment alongside McConkie in his effort to prove the saccade target hypothesis. In those experiments, the researchers used a picture instead of dot patterns. Participants in the experimental condition were given an initial eye position, followed by a saccade target position on the picture. Unlike