On Being Lost: Evaluating Spatial Recognition in a Virtual Environment

People who have a poor sense of direction are called 方向オンチ (houkou-onchi) in Japanese. What makes those people houkou-onchi? What are the differences between people who get lost and others? In an attempt to answer these questions, three applications were developed using virtual reality (VR), informed by the literature of cognitive psychology. The applications were used to collect data about spatial recognition and to determine the essence of houkou-onchi. Experiments were conducted in which subjects (n=23) first answered a questionnaire, then participated in three applications to test their spatial recognition and psychological ability, and finally undertook a paper-based task. The data and resultant analysis found that the faster the mental rotation ability a person has, the better he/she can understand directions. In addition, people who actively engage in their surroundings also have a better sense of direction. The article details the design, implementation and subsequent experiments of the VR applications.