2D vs 3D, implications on spatial memory

Since the introduction of graphical user interfaces (GUI) and two-dimensional (2D) displays, the concept of space has entered the information technology (IT) domain. Interactions with computers were re-encoded in terms of fidelity to the interactions with real environment and consequently in terms of fitness to cognitive and spatial abilities. A further step in this direction was the creation of three-dimensional (3D) displays which have amplified the fidelity of digital representations. However, there are no systematic results evaluating the extent to which 3D displays better support cognitive spatial abilities. The aim of this research is to empirically investigate spatial memory performance across different instances of 2D and 3D displays. Two experiments were performed. The displays used in the experimental situation represented hierarchical information structures. The results of the test show that the 3D display does improve performances in the designed spatial memory task.