Virtual environment presentations: Perception and appraisal

Bernd ROHRMANN  (University of Melbourne)

The project's aim is to investigate perceptions and appraisals of "virtual environment presentations" (VEP's). Various computer-based simulations as well as photographies of the actual environment as reality reference will be used to critically test the 'presentation validity' of VEP's and to identify how different simulation modes affect how viewers respond to environmental images.
The results shall elucidate the relevance of presentation features (e.g., accuracy, colour use, oddness) and augment further VEP research and application.

= Status =

This project continues the previous projects VEV "Virtual environments and human perception: Experiments in validity and ASM "Appraisal of a simulated Melbourne University walk". It is part of an on-going collaboration with Prof. Ian Bishop from the Center for Geographic Information Systems & Modeling at the University of Melbourne.
In 2008-9, experiments will be conducted at Utrecht University (Netherlands), together with Dr Lex Toet & Drs Joske Houtkamp. Subsequently extensions shall be run in Rohrmann's Environmental Psychology Lab.

Currently the following is underway:
>  VEP types:
[A] Standard VEP, based on images from Study ASM (designed by Ian Bishop's team). 
[B] Special VEP's, including: Presentation in low detail-level, in sketch/drawing mode, in imitated painting style, in glas-mosaic design, in 'twisted-colour'' appearance (these were created in collaboration with R. Helmholtz, Oktogon, Germany). Each series uses 8 images, all in colour and in black&white presentation.
>  Reality mode:
A series of photographs [P] (made by B. Rohrmann) is available, as well as a video-recording.
>  Reference for VEP's in experiments:
Series [P] to be used as comparison for series [A]; series [A] to be used as reference for [B].
>  Data collection:
In several experiments sets of VEP's and reference images will be shown, to be described and assessed via a standardized questionnaire.

= Timing =

Several planning sessions were held since August 2007 and tests run in April 2008; the main experiments will be conducted in Utrecht from October 2008 onwards and possibly in Melbourne in 2009.

= Contact address =