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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 9, 2025

Morris Water Maze Experiment
04:45

Morris Water Maze Experiment

Published on: September 24, 2008

57.8K

Virtual Morris water maze: opportunities and challenges.

Conor Thornberry1, Jose M Cimadevilla2, Sean Commins1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, John Hume Building, North Campus, Maynooth, Co Kildare W23 F2H6, Ireland.

Reviews in the Neurosciences
|April 10, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Virtual reality spatial navigation tasks, especially the virtual water maze, are popular but lack standardized protocols. Inconsistent use hinders replication and comparison, necessitating standardized designs for reliable human spatial memory research.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

  • Spatial navigation and memory rely on complex cognitive mechanisms.
  • Animal models extensively use maze tasks to study spatial navigation.
  • Virtual reality (VR) offers a promising tool for human spatial memory research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the landscape of VR navigation tasks used in human research.
  • To identify the most prevalent VR navigation task and its utility.
  • To highlight challenges and propose solutions for standardized VR spatial navigation research.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of over 200 VR navigation research papers.
  • Analysis of task types, focusing on the virtual analogue of the Morris water maze (VWM).
Keywords:
spatial memoryspatial navigationvirtual mazevirtual realitywater maze

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 9, 2025

Morris Water Maze Experiment
04:45

Morris Water Maze Experiment

Published on: September 24, 2008

57.8K
Morris Water Maze Test: Optimization for Mouse Strain and Testing Environment
10:24

Morris Water Maze Test: Optimization for Mouse Strain and Testing Environment

Published on: June 22, 2015

21.9K
Shallow Water Paddling Variants of Water Maze Tests in Mice
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Shallow Water Paddling Variants of Water Maze Tests in Mice

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  • Identification of inconsistencies in environmental setup and procedural execution of VWM tasks.

    • Main Results:

    • The virtual analogue of the Morris water maze (VWM) is the most common VR navigation task.
    • Significant variability exists in VWM environmental setups and experimental procedures across studies.
    • This inconsistency impedes result replication and cross-study comparisons in human spatial memory research.

    Conclusions:

    • While the VWM is a valuable tool, its widespread adoption is hampered by a lack of standardization.
    • Standardized protocols and designs are crucial for the VWM to become a reliable gold standard in human spatial research.
    • Addressing these inconsistencies will enhance the validity and comparability of VR-based spatial navigation studies.