From: Marilyn Salzman Subject: HUMAN-FACTORS: Spatial abilities in VR Date: Mon, 2 Jun 1997 18:56:08 -0500 Message-ID: Dear friends & colleagues, I was wondering if any of you have examined whether an individual's spatial ability influences his/her ability to interact with, navigate in, or learn in a VR environment. Specifically, I am interested in 1) whether or not you found that spatial ability significantly predicted performance, and 2) what tests you used. I am currently planning a study to investigate how VR's frames of reference influence mastery of complex information spaces. I am planning to measure spatial abilities (spatial visualization, spatial orientation, and mental rotation) because I feel these might influence how easily students interact with and learn from their VR experiences. Unfortunately, these tests are time consuming, so I'd like to determine the extent to which spatial abilities might play a role before committing to the tests. Any guidance you can provide will be appreciated! Sincerely, Marilyn Marilyn Salzman