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First‐perspective alignment effects in a computer‐simulated environment
Author(s) -
Wilson Paul N.,
Wildbur Diane J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1348/000712604773952421
Subject(s) - orientation (vector space) , psychology , perspective (graphical) , test (biology) , cognitive psychology , cognition , memory test , social psychology , artificial intelligence , computer science , geometry , mathematics , paleontology , neuroscience , biology
In Experiment 1, participants explored two desktop, virtual environments (VEs), each comprising three city streets connected at right angles; for each participant one VE was open and one was enclosed. Following the first VE exploration, orientation estimates to remembered test locations were most accurate when participants imagined themselves aligned, rather than 90° misaligned or 180° or contra‐aligned, with the first part of the route. In the second VE, the effect was attenuated and the data pattern conformed to that anticipated from an orientation‐free memory. Experiment 2 followed the procedure of Experiment 1, but omitted the alignment tests after the first VE; following the second VE exploration, orientation estimates presented a similar pattern to those in first test of Experiment 1. These data are discussed in terms of cognitive load.