Audiovisual navigation in virtual mazes: The benefits of audiovisual landmarks

It has been shown that multisensory presentation can improve perception, attention, and object memory
compared with unisensory presentation. Consequently, we expect that multisensory presentation of
landmarks can improve spatial memory and navigation.
In this study we tested the effect of visual, auditory and combined landmark presentations in virtual
mazes on spatial memory and spatial navigation. Nineteen participants explored four different virtual
mazes consisting of nodes with landmarks and corridors connecting them. Each maze was explored for
90 s. After each exploration, participants performed the following tasks in fixed order: (1) draw a map
of the maze, (2) recall adjacent landmarks for three given landmarks, (3) place all landmarks on the
map of the maze, and (4) find their way through the maze to locate five given landmarks in fixed order.
Our study shows significant effects of multisensory versus unisensory landmarks for the maze drawing
task, the adjacency task, and the wayfinding task. Our results suggest that audiovisual landmark presentations
improve spatial memory and spatial navigation performance in virtual environments.