Viewing a graph in a virtual reality display is three times as good as a 2D diagram

An experiment is reported which tests whether network information is more effectively displayed in a three dimensional space than in a two dimensional space. The experimental task is to trace a path in a network and the experiment is carried out in 2D, in a 3D stereo view, in a 2D view with head coupled perspective, and in a 3D stereo view with head coupled perspective; this last condition creates a localized virtual reality display. The results show that the motion parallax obtained from the head coupling of perspective is more important than stereopsis in revealing structural information. Overall the results show that three times as much information can be perceived in the head coupled stereo view as in the 2D view