Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.

Gestalt Principles of Perception

Gestalt Principles of Perception

Gestalt principles provide a framework for understanding how humans perceive objects as unified wholes within their context. These principles are essential in explaining the cognitive processes that make sense of complex visual stimuli by organizing them into coherent groups. One fundamental principle is proximity, which posits that objects located close to each other are perceived as a collective group. For instance, when dots are positioned near one another, the visual system interprets them...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Distinct Neural Dynamics of Spatial Transformations: Egocentric Perspective-Taking and Allocentric Rotation.

Brain sciences·2026

Same author

Sex differences in the development of object imagery abilities across age groups.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

The Contribution of Internal and External Factors to Human Spatial Navigation.

Brain sciences·2024

Same author

Different Types of Survey-Based Environmental Representations: Egocentric vs. Allocentric Cognitive Maps.

Brain sciences·2023

Same author

Cognitive style and creativity: The role of education in shaping cognitive style profiles and creativity of adolescents.

The British journal of educational psychology·2023

Same author

Beyond mindfulness: Arousal-driven modulation of attentional control during arousal-based practices.

Current research in neurobiology·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Photorealistic Learned Landscapes for Augmented Reality

Photorealistic Learned Landscapes for Augmented Reality

Published on: June 27, 2025

Understanding Immersivity: Image Generation and Transformation Processes in 3D Immersive Environments.

Maria Kozhevnikov¹, Rupali P Dhond

¹Psychology Department, National University of Singapore Singapore.

Frontiers in Psychology

|August 22, 2012

Summary

Visual-spatial processing differs between immersive and non-immersive virtual environments. Immersive settings may utilize viewer-centered strategies, unlike traditional 2D displays which may use scene-based encoding.

Keywords:

immersivity mental rotation three-dimensional immersive virtual environments

More Related Videos

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

Novel 3D/VR Interactive Environment for MD Simulations, Visualization and Analysis

Novel 3D/VR Interactive Environment for MD Simulations, Visualization and Analysis

Published on: December 18, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Photorealistic Learned Landscapes for Augmented Reality

Photorealistic Learned Landscapes for Augmented Reality

Published on: June 27, 2025

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

Novel 3D/VR Interactive Environment for MD Simulations, Visualization and Analysis

Novel 3D/VR Interactive Environment for MD Simulations, Visualization and Analysis

Published on: December 18, 2014

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Virtual Reality Research
Neuroscience

Background:

Traditional research on 3D visual-spatial processing relies on 2D displays.
Understanding mental image generation and transformation in 3D immersive environments is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate mental image manipulation in 3D immersive virtual environments (3DI).
To compare mental rotation (MR) performance across 2D non-immersive (2DNI), 3D non-immersive (3DNI), and 3DI environments.
To explore the impact of backgrounds on MR in 3DI and compare neural data (EEG) between 3DI and 2DNI.

Main Methods:

Experiment 1: Compared Shepard and Metzler (1971) MR task performance in 2DNI, 3DNI (anaglyphic), and 3DI (HMD) environments.
Experiment 2: Assessed background effects on MR within the 3DI environment.
Experiment 3: Recorded EEG data during MR tasks in 3DI versus 2DNI environments.

Main Results:

Visual-spatial processing differs significantly between immersive and non-immersive environments.
Immersive environments may promote egocentric encoding and viewer-centered frames of reference.
Non-immersive environments may favor allocentric encoding and scene-based frames of reference.

Conclusions:

3D immersive virtual environments necessitate distinct image encoding and transformation strategies compared to non-immersive settings.
Mental rotation tasks in traditional 2D laboratory settings may not accurately represent real-world spatial processing.
Findings suggest a shift towards egocentric processing in immersive virtual reality.