Name: LaTajah Lambey

School of Psychology – Masters Thesis Defense Meeting

Date: Monday, April 20, 2026

Time: 4:00 pm 

Location: virtual Microsoft Teams

Link:  https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/267751979208573?p=JWJyB7BPalMYz11ucv

Meeting ID: 267 751 979 208 573

Passcode: z7KY2jJ9

Thesis Chair/Advisor:

Scott Moffat, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)

Thesis Committee Members:

Thackery Brown, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)

Bruce Walker, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)

Mark Wheeler, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)

Title: Effects of Sensory Input Modality on Cognitive Mapping and Landmark Memory

Abstract:

Previous research suggests that vestibular and proprioceptive input may enhance learning and memory of an environment; however, most virtual navigation studies limit these inputs by utilizing stationary desktop virtual interfaces. The present study examined whether different sensory input modalities in virtual reality (VR) influence the acquisition of spatial knowledge. Participants were assigned to one of three VR conditions: Desktop, Head-Mounted Display (HMD), or HMD combined with an omnidirectional treadmill (HMD + Omni). Following a spatial learning task, participants completed a landmark recognition task, a pointing task, and a landmark placement task. 

Contrary to predictions, increased immersion and the addition of locomotion did not improve spatial performance. While the VR condition did significantly affect learning time, analyses revealed that factors such as perceived workload and individual differences predicted performance more strongly than the VR condition. Although aspects of presence increased with immersion, further analyses showed that presence did not mediate the relationship between condition and performance. Findings suggest that increased immersion introduces additional cognitive demands that may have offset the potential benefits of immersion for spatial learning.