Spatial cognition research [Elektronische Ressource] : the human navigation process and its comparability in complex real and virtual environments / Edna Platzer

Universität der Bundeswehr München Fakultät für Pädagogik Edna Platzer Spatial Cognition research: The human navigation process and its comparability in complex real and virtual environments Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie (Dr.phil.) Tag der Prüfung: 11.Juli 2005 Vorsitzender: Prof. Dr. Werner Schefold 1. Gutachter: PD Dr. Michael Popp 2. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Christian Tarnai 3. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Maes 2 3 SUMMARY Virtual environments are already used frequently in research and practice. However, it remained unclear to what extent human spatial behavior in real and virtual environments are comparable and how well spatial knowledge acquired in virtual reality can be transferred to reality, and vice versa. The first experiment directly compares navigation behavior in a real and virtual version of the same environment and investigates the effects of training and navigation environment on navigation process and performance. It results that transfer of spatial knowledge between reality and virtual reality is possible in principle, but with different levels of performance. Analysis of navigation strategies shows that the virtual environment does not reduce the number of possible strategies and that subjects use the same strategies than in reality.