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Abstract

This study assesses how changes in speed affect the formation of cognitive maps while an observer is learning a route through a desktop virtual environment. Results showed low error rates overall, and essentially no differences in landmark positioning errors between observers in variable speed conditions and a constant speed condition, utilizing both a distance estimation test and mental imagery test. Furthermore, there was a lack of any interactions between speed profiles and trial or route section. These results suggest that the pattern of errors and the nature of learning the route were functionally very similar for both the variable speed conditions and the constant speed condition. We conclude that spatio-temporal representations of a route through a desktop virtual environment can be accurately represented, and are comparable to spatial learning under conditions of constant speed.