Learning of Spatial Properties of a Large-Scale Virtual City With an Interactive Map
To become acquainted with large-scale environments such as cities people combine direct
experience and indirect sources such as maps. To ascertain which type of spatial knowledge is
acquired by which source is difficult to evaluate. Using virtual reality enables the possibility
to investigate whether knowledge is learned by direct experience or the use of a map
differentially. Therefore, we designed a large virtual city, comprised of over 200 houses, and
evaluated spatial knowledge acquisition after city exploration with an interactive map
following one and three 30-minute exploration sessions. We tested subjects’ knowledge of the
orientation of houses facing directions towards cardinal north, of orientations of houses facing
directions relative to each other and pointing from one house to another. Our results revealed
that increased familiarity after extended exploration with the map improved task accuracy.
Further, it revealed task differences, caused mainly by a better accuracy in the relative
orientation task than the pointing task. Time for cognitive reasoning improved overall task
accuracy. Learning with our VR city map revealed an absence of distance effect, an alignment
effect of tested house orientation towards map north and an angular difference effect between
tested stimuli. Self-reported knowledge of cardinal directions learned in the real environment
was positively correlated with task accuracy testing houses orientations towards cardinal
north....
Source: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research
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