The Room Effect: Metric Spatial Knowledge of Local and Separated Regions

Navigating through real or virtual worlds requires a workable knowledge of the spatial layout. According to the landmark-route-survey model, metric spatial knowledge (survey knowledge) is acquired only following the acquisition of landmark and route knowledge. A dual mode model was proposed that assumes that survey knowledge may be quickly acquired for local regions. Research was conducted to understand how people rapidly acquire survey knowledge. Participants in three experiments briefly navigated on one floor of a virtual building, moving down hallways and performing tasks by using objects in rooms. Participants were later asked to answer from memory about the direction of objects by using pointing and map-drawing measures. A room effect was found for both measures; the angular positions of two objects in the same room were more accurately reported than those in different rooms. Accurate metric spatial information was available for objects in the same room, supporting an early acquisition assumption.