Virtual memory palaces: immersion aids recall
Virtual reality displays, such as head mounted displays (HMD) afford us a superior spatial awareness by leveraging our vestibular and proprioceptive senses, as compared to traditional desktop displays. Since classical times, people have used memory palaces as a spatial mnemonic to help remember information by organizing it spatially and associating it with salient features in that environment. In this paper, we explore whether using virtual memory palaces in a head mounted display with head tracking (HMD condition) would allow a user to better recall information than when using a traditional desktop display with a mouse based interaction (desktop condition) We found that virtual memory palaces in HMD condition provide a superior memory recall ability compared to the desktop condition. We believe this is a first step in using virtual environments for creating more memorable experiences that enhance productivity through better recall of large amounts of information organized using the idea of virtual memory palaces.
Virtual Reality