Active Versus Passive Processing of Spatial Information in a Computer-Simulated Environment

Abstract In Experiment 1, participants explored a desktop computer-simulated three-dimensional environment. Subsequently, they were asked to point to objects that were not directly visible from the test locality, and to draw a plan view of the environment. In Experiment 2, following exploration of a less complex computer-simulated environment, participants completed a test of their ability to find objects that had been encountered during the course of exploration. In neither experiment was there any evidence that psychological activity (directing the course of exploration) or physical activity (interacting with the computer) had an effect on the acquisition of spatial knowledge. Comparisons with control participants, who were not allowed to explore the simulations, confirmed that experimental participants had acquired good representations of the virtual environments.