# Enhancing Recognition Memory in Virtual Memory Palaces Using Worlds-in-Miniature
###### Abstract  
The memory palace, a mnemonic technique from ancient Greece, remains widely used for memory competitions and learning. This study introduces a procedurally generated virtual memory palace combined with the Worlds-in-Miniature (WIM) interface in virtual reality. WIM enhances spatial perception by providing a miniaturized visualization of the memory palace and enabling instant movement between locations. Focusing on recognition memory, an experiment with 40 participants was conducted to measure memory performance under conditions with and without the WIM interface. Each participant memorized 30 target images within a procedurally generated memory palace and completed a recognition task distinguishing targets from non-targets. Data included immediate recognition performance and follow-up assessments at 7 and 14 days to evaluate long-term retention. The results showed that the WIM interface significantly improved recognition memory, particularly among participants with lower initial success rates. By providing spatial structuring, WIM facilitated stronger memory associations, leading to enhanced recall accuracy and sustained long-term retention. This method demonstrates the potential of VR memory palaces as effective tools for supporting memorization-based learning in education and training contexts.  
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and interaction through keyboards or mice. More recently, virtual environments have been visualized using VR head-mounted displays (HMDs), with interaction facilitated by 3D input devices such as motion controllers, providing a more immersive experience [5]. Comparative studies have shown that VR-implemented memory palaces are highly effective in improving memory retention [6].  
Despite their potential, existing virtual memory palaces rely heavily on pre-designed spaces where users either place information arbitrarily or interact with pre-positioned information [7]. This pre-design limits flexibility compared to the original memory palace, where users could freely imagine a familiar space. Familiar environments, in traditional memory palaces, enhance memorization by leveraging the user's prior knowledge. In contrast, pre-designed virtual spaces often introduce unfamiliarity, reducing their effectiveness. Addressing this limitation, our study proposes a procedurally generated virtual memory palace that allows users to create new spaces in real-time. This approach offers flexibility and theoretically enables an infinite number of unique spaces for memorization. Since the generated spaces are unfamiliar to users, our design incorporates an intuitive interface to help them quickly understand and navigate these new environments.  
To support spatial awareness and improve memorization, we utilized the Worlds-in-Miniature (WIM) interface [8]. Traditionally used in virtual reality for spatial navigation, WIM provides users with a global third-person perspective by visualizing a miniaturized version of the virtual environment. Users can see their position and orientation through an avatar, complementing their local first-person view within VR. This dual perspective enables users to effectively encode spatial information, even in unfamiliar environments, and enhances both short-term and long-term memory retention.  
By integrating real-time spatial generation and the WIM interface, our study aims to overcome the limitations of pre-designed virtual memory palaces and provide a user-friendly, flexible solution for memorization-based tasks [9; 10].