Meijer Frank, Geudeke Branko L, van den Broek Egon L
Department of Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics, Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
Cyberpsychol Behav. 2009 Oct;12(5):517-21. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2009.0053.
Recent advances in computer technology have significantly facilitated the use of virtual environments (VE) for small and medium enterprises (SME). However, achieving visual realism in such VE requires high investments in terms of time and effort, while its usefulness has not yet become apparent from research. Other qualities of VE, such as the use of large displays, proved its effectiveness in enhancing the individual user's spatial cognition. The current study assessed whether the same benefits apply for visual realism in VE. Thirty-two participants were divided into two groups, who explored either a photorealistic or a nonrealistic supermarket presented on a large screen. The participants were asked to navigate through the supermarket on a predetermined route. Subsequently, spatial learning was tested in four pen-and-paper tests that assessed how accurately they had memorized the route and the environment's spatial layout. The study revealed increased spatial learning from the photorealistic compared to the nonrealistic supermarket. Specifically, participants performed better on tests that involved egocentric spatial knowledge. The results suggest visual realism is useful because it increases the user's spatial knowledge in the VE. Therefore, the current study provides clear evidence that it is worthwhile for SME to invest in achieving visual realism in VE.
计算机技术的最新进展极大地促进了虚拟环境（VE）在中小企业（SME）中的应用。然而，要在这样的虚拟环境中实现视觉逼真度，需要在时间和精力方面进行大量投入，而其效用尚未在研究中显现出来。虚拟环境的其他特性，如使用大型显示屏，已证明其在增强个体用户空间认知方面的有效性。当前的研究评估了虚拟环境中的视觉逼真度是否也具有同样的益处。32名参与者被分为两组，他们分别探索在大屏幕上呈现的逼真或不逼真的超市。要求参与者按照预定路线在超市中导航。随后，通过四项纸笔测试对空间学习进行了测试，这些测试评估了他们对路线和环境空间布局的记忆准确程度。研究表明，与不逼真的超市相比，逼真超市的空间学习效果有所提高。具体而言，参与者在涉及自我中心空间知识的测试中表现更好。结果表明视觉逼真度是有用的，因为它增加了用户在虚拟环境中的空间知识。因此，当前的研究提供了明确的证据，表明中小企业投资于在虚拟环境中实现视觉逼真度是值得的。
