title: Navigation performance in virtual environments varies with fractal dimension of landscape.
abstract: Fractal geometry has been used to describe natural and built environments, but has yet to be studied in navigational research. In order to establish a relationship between the fractal dimension (D) of a natural environment and humans' ability to navigate such spaces, we conducted two experiments using virtual environments that simulate the fractal properties of nature. In Experiment 1, participants completed a goal-driven search task either with or without a map in landscapes that varied in D. In Experiment 2, participants completed a map-reading and location-judgment task in separate sets of fractal landscapes. In both experiments, task performance was highest at the low-to-mid range of D, which was previously reported as most preferred and discriminable in studies of fractal aesthetics and discrimination, respectively, supporting a theory of visual fluency. The applicability of these findings to architecture, urban planning, and the general design of constructed spaces is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403, USA.
authors.forename: Arthur W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Juliani
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bies
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403, USA.
authors.forename: Cooper R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Boydston
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403, USA.
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sereno