虛擬現實錘煉敏銳思維

陳棟

People remember information better if it is presented to them in a virtual environment as opposed to desktop computers， researchers， including one of Indian origin， have found.

The study， published in the journal Virtual Reality， found that people learn better through virtual， immersive environments as opposed to more traditional platforms like a two-dimensional desktop computer or hand-held tablet.

“This data is exciting in that1 it suggests that immersive environment could offer new pathways for improved outcomes in education and high-proficiency training，” said Amitabh Varshney， a professor at the University of Maryland in the US.

For the study， the team used the concept of a “memory palace，”—where people recall an object or item by placing it in an imaginary physical location like a building or town.

The method has been used since classical times2， taking advantage of the human brain’s ability to spatially organise thoughts and memories.

“Humans have always used visual-based methods to help them remember information， whether it’s cave drawings， clay tablets， printed text and images， or video，” said Eric Krokos， a doctoral student at the University of Maryland.

The researchers recruited 40 volunteers—mostly students unfamiliar with virtual reality. They split the participants into two groups： one viewed information first via a VR3 head-mounted4 display and then on a desktop; the other did the opposite.

Both groups received printouts of well-known faces and familiarised themselves with the images. They then showed the participants the faces using the memory palace format with two imaginary locations.

Both of the study groups navigated each memory palace for five minutes. Desktop participants used a mouse to change their viewpoint， while VR users turned their heads.

Next， the users were asked to memorise the location of each of the faces shown. Half the faces were positioned in different locations within the interior setting—Oprah Winfrey appeared at the top of a grand staircase; Stephen Hawking was a few steps down， followed by Shrek.

On the ground floor， Napoleon Bonaparte’s face sat above majestic wooden table， while Martin Luther King Jr was positioned in the centre of the room.

Similarly， for the medieval town setting， users viewed images that included Hillary Clinton’s face on the left side of a building， with Mickey Mouse and Batman placed at varying heights on nearby structures.

Then， the scene went blank， and after a two-minute break， each memory palace reappeared with numbered boxes where the faces had been. The research participants were then asked to recall which face had been in each location where a number was now displayed.

The key was for participants to identify each face by its physical location and its relation to surrounding structures and faces—and also the location of the image relative to the user’s own body.

The results showed an 8.8 per cent improvement overall in recall accuracy using the VR headsets， a statistically significant number according to the research team.

Many of the participants said the immersive “presence5” while using VR allowed them to focus better. This was reflected in the research results： 40 per cent of the participants scored at least 10 per cent higher in recall ability using VR over the desktop display.

“Recent research in cognitive psychology suggests that the mind is inherently embodied6， and that the way humans create and recall mental constructs is influenced by the way they perceive and move，” said Catherine Plaisant， a senior research scientist at the University of Maryland.

“This leads to the possibility that a spatial virtual memory palace—experienced in an immersive virtual environment—could enhance learning and recall by leveraging a person’s overall sense of body position， movement and acceleration，” she said.

“By showing that virtual reality can help improve recall， it opens the door to further studies that look at the impact of VR-based training modules at all levels—from elementary school children learning astronomy to trauma residents7 acquiring the latest knowledge in lifesaving procedures，” Varshney added.

研究者發現（其中包括一名印度裔研究者），相比于臺式計算機，如果信息是在虛擬環境中呈現，人們能更好地記住它們。

該研究發表于《虛擬現實》雜志。它發現，相比于一些較為傳統的平臺，譬如二維臺式計算機或是手持平板電腦，人們通過虛擬、沉浸式的環境可以取得更好的學習效果。

“這一數據令人振奮，因為它表明，沉浸式的環境可以為教育和高效技能培訓提供卓有成效的新途徑。”美國馬里蘭大學教授阿米塔布·瓦什尼說道。

在此研究中，該團隊使用了“記憶宮殿”這一概念——在這座宮殿里，人們將某物放在一個假想的物理位置譬如一棟建筑或一個小鎮中，以便記起它們。

這一方法自古典時期便被采用。它利用了人類大腦通過空間組織思維和記憶的能力。

埃里克·克羅科斯是馬里蘭大學的一名博士生，他表示：“無論是洞穴壁畫、泥板、印刷的文字和圖像，抑或是視頻，人類一直都在使用基于視覺的方法來幫助他們記住信息。”

研究者招募了40名志愿者——大部分為對虛擬現實不甚了解的學生。他們將參與者分成兩組：一組先通過VR頭顯查看信息，然后在臺式機上查看;另一組則剛好相反。

兩組人員都收到了許多名人的照片，他們要做的就是記住這些圖像。然后，研究人員在兩個虛擬場所，以記憶宮殿的形式向參與者展示每副面孔。

兩組研究對象在每座記憶宮殿里都觀察了五分鐘。臺式機用戶通過鼠標來切換視圖，而VR用戶則通過轉動頭部來觀察。

接下來，參與者被要求記住每一副面孔所處的位置。其中一半的面孔被安排在室內場景的不同位置——奧普拉·溫弗瑞出現在主樓梯的頂部，史蒂芬·霍金在她下面，隔了幾級臺階，再后面則是怪物史萊克。

在一樓，拿破侖·波拿巴的面孔出現在華麗莊嚴的木桌上，小馬丁·路德·金的面孔則位于房間的正中間。

同樣，在中世紀小鎮場景中，參與者會看到希拉里·克林頓的臉出現在一棟建筑的左側，米老鼠和蝙蝠俠則高低錯落在附近的建筑物上。

隨后，場景會變成空白。間隔兩分鐘后，每座記憶宮殿又會再次出現，但原先的面孔被替換成標了序號的盒子。然后，研究參與者們會被要求回憶現在顯示數字的這些地方之前出現的是誰的面孔。

測試的關鍵在于讓參與者通過每副面孔的物理位置、其與周圍建筑和其他面孔的關系，以及該圖像相對于用戶自身所處的位置識別出它們。

該研究結果顯示，使用VR頭像的記憶準確度總體上提高了8.8%。據研究團隊稱，這個數字在統計學上具有顯著性。

許多參與者表示，使用VR頭顯時營造的那種身臨其境的“現場感”使他們能更加專注。研究結果也反映了這一點：與通過臺式機查看相比，40%的參與者在使用VR設備記憶時得分至少高出10%。

“近來對認知心理學的研究表明，心智本質上是具身的。人類創造和回憶心理構念的方式受他們感知和移動方式的影響。”馬里蘭大學高級研究員凱瑟琳·普萊桑特說道。

“這帶來一種可能性，即人們在沉浸式的虛擬環境中體驗空間虛擬記憶宮殿時，可以調動一個人對身體位置、運動和加速度的整體感知——這能提升學習效果，加深記憶。”她說道。

瓦什尼補充道：“虛擬現實可以幫助提高記憶力，這為進一步的研究打開了大門。這些研究著眼于以虛擬現實為基礎的培訓模塊的各個層面——從小學生學習天文學到創傷科住院醫生學習最新的急救程序相關知識。”

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎選手）

1 in that由于，因為。

2 classical times古典時期。 ?3 = virtual reality虛擬現實。 ?4 head-mounted頭戴式。

5 presence在場。

6 embodied具身。源自embodied cognition具身認知，是心理學中一個新興的研究領域。具身認知理論主要指生理體驗與心理狀態之間有著強烈的聯系。生理體驗“激活”心理感覺，反之亦然。簡言之，就是人在開心的時候會微笑，而如果微笑，人也會趨向于變得更開心。 ?7 trauma resident創傷科住院醫生。