Navigating Decision-Making Frontiers: Virtual Reality and Spatial Skills in Strategic Planning

Navigating topographic charts involves nuanced skills and real-world correspondence, influenced by individual learning styles. Traditionally, 2D and 3D representations bridge map-reality gaps, but sandboxes often introduce manual errors and reliance on personal interpretation. This paper examines VR's potential in military planning, focusing on terrain interpretation, data visualization, and scale transitions. A study with 36 army cadets investigates VR's effectiveness in enhancing spatial perception and real-world task performance. Findings suggest that VR improves position choices and grades and reduces result disparities, particularly benefiting users with lower spatial skills. The research also evaluates the impact of different scales on VR planning, offering insights into potential advantages and challenges. Future studies should explore control issues and completion times in real-world scenarios.