Effects of the Pony Wall Position and Memory Strategy on Reproduced Spatial Depth in a Virtual Environment

Abstract

Physical occlusion, particularly of the ground surface, often distorts distance perception in indoor environments. However, how observers' visual search strategies modulate this effect remains unclear. This study investigated how pony wall placement (Non, Left, Center) affects egocentric distance perception under two instructional strategies: Geometric and Holistic. Using Virtual Reality, participants estimated distances while eye movements were recorded. Results revealed a significant difference between strategies. The Geometric group maintained distance accuracy even in the Center condition where the floor was occluded. Fixation analysis showed they actively compensated for missing ground information by increasing fixations on side walls to extract linear perspective cues. Conversely, the Holistic group—reflecting natural daily spatial experience—significantly underestimated distance in the Center condition. The salient pony wall attracted their gaze, reducing attention to the far wall, which provides crucial depth information for spatial boundaries. This gaze attraction hindered integrated perception of the entire space.These findings reveal an important distinction. The analytical search strategy overcame physical constraints through side walls that served as alternatives to the interrupted floor continuity. In contrast, the holistic strategy typical of daily experience was vulnerable to central occlusion due to gaze attraction. For architectural design, this suggests that ensuring visual permeability—specifically, maintaining gaze access to the far wall—is essential for preserving the sense of spaciousness and supporting natural spatial experience. Therefore, when placing pony walls, designers should consider not only physical area but also the psychological quality of spatial perception.

Keywords: Pony Wall, Virtual Environment, Distance Perception, Visual Search Strategy, Eye Tracking

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007960