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How Human Spatial Ability is Affected by the Misalignment of Idiotropic and Visual Axes

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Augmented Cognition (HCII 2023)

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Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study investigating the impact of misaligned idiotropic and visual axes on spatial ability in a simulated microgravity environment in virtual reality. The study involved 99 participants who completed two spatial tests, the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations and the Perspective Taking Ability test, in three different scenarios: control (axes aligned), static misalignment, and dynamic misalignment. The results showed that dynamic misalignment significantly impacted mental rotation and spatial visualization performance, but not spatial orientation ability. Additionally, the gaming experience did not moderate mental rotation outcomes but did enhance spatial orientation ability. These findings provide insight into how altered visuospatial conditions may affect human spatial cognition and can inform the development of simulation-based training tools to help people adapt to such environments more effectively. Furthermore, the study highlights the potential of using games as a learning tool to improve productivity and safety in extreme or altered work environments.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) through grant CNS 1928695. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the NSF.

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  1. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Faezeh Salehi, Fatemeh Pariafsai & Manish K. Dixit

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  1. Faezeh Salehi
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Salehi, F., Pariafsai, F., Dixit, M.K. (2023). How Human Spatial Ability is Affected by the Misalignment of Idiotropic and Visual Axes. In: Schmorrow, D.D., Fidopiastis, C.M. (eds) Augmented Cognition. HCII 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 14019. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35017-7_12

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