Abstract
The gist, or meaning, assigned to a scene is influenced by the visual aspects of the environment and the gist of a 2D scene can be determined with a simple, quick exposure to a static image. Inspired by previous research by urban designers on imageability, design features, and perception in the built environment, we developed a modular urban block virtual world, consisting of 10 distinct architectures and densities. Our goal was to test whether and when viewers perceive a change in gist of 3D spaces while dynamically moving through them. We evaluated the degree to which altering architectural style, visual scale (building size), or both influenced individuals' perception of change in the gist of a 3D, immersive virtual environment. Participants (N = 50) were guided along a linear road through a sequence of 40 blocks (70-100 meters each), with each block having one of five architectural styles and either smaller or larger buildings. Participants indicated when they experienced a change in gist and the perceived magnitude of the change. We found perceived magnitude ratings were greater for changes in the combined features and architectural style alone compared to changes in visual scale alone. In addition, the likelihood of detecting a change was greatest when both style and visual scale changed together. Our findings suggest that people can experience changes in gist spatially in a dynamic immersive 3D virtual environment and provide a framework for future studies examining the concept of spatial gist. Further analysis of collected eye tracking data could provide insight into eye movements and their relationship to perceived change in gist.