# Enhancing Recognition Memory in Virtual Memory Palaces Using Worlds-in-Miniature
## 5 Results
### Objective Evaluation
#### 5.1.3 Superior vs. Inferior Memorization  
To analyze the experimental results in greater depth, the entire participants were categorized into Above Average and Below Average groups, based on their memory retention ability. We first calculated the overall averages of memory retention scores for both the with-WIM and without-WIM conditions. If each participant's score in either the with-WIM or without-WIM condition exceeded the corresponding overall average, they were classified as part of the Above Average group. Conversely, if both scores were below the corresponding averages, they were classified as part of the Below Average group. shown in Table 4.  
In the short-term memory evaluation, the Below Average group exhibited a statistically significant difference between the with-WIM and without-WIM conditions (\(p=0.039282\)). This result highlights the effectiveness of WIM in assisting participants with lower memory retention. The observed difference suggests that WIM provides a clear advantage for this group, likely by supporting spatial understanding and aiding memory recall during the task.  
In contrast, the Above Average group did not show a statistically significant difference (\(p=0.091723\)), although there was a slight trend favoring the WIM condition. This indicates that participants with higher memory retention may rely less on external aids like WIM to perform well in short-term memory tasks.  
These results highlight that WIM can significantly benefit people with relatively weak memory skills. Specifically, WIM simplifies the task of navigation by offering a miniature overview of the environment, which minimizes the mental effort required to process and recall spatial information. This reduces cognitive load, allowing participants to focus more on encoding task-relevant images into memory. Additionally, WIM's consistent and visual spatial representation mitigates the risk of disorientation, preventing unnecessary backtracking or re-navigation, which often disrupt memory encoding processes.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Assessment** & **Group** & \(\mathbf{t}\)**-Test Result (\(\mathbf{p}\)-Value)** \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Short-term} & Above Average & 0.091723 \\ \cline{2-3}  & Below Average & 0.039282 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{7-day assessment} & Above Average & 0.537406 \\ \cline{2-3}  & Below Average & 0.154023 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{14-day assessment} & Above Average & 0.610577 \\ \cline{2-3}  & Below Average & 0.813372 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 4: \(t\)-test results for memory evaluations across groups and assessments.  
Figure 7: Estimated graphs of long-term memory decay based on the equation of the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve.  
The implications of these findings are significant for individuals with lower memory retention. WIM demonstrates its potential as an assistive tool, particularly in contexts where spatial navigation and memory recall are challenging. For educational or training environments, WIM could be integrated into virtual systems to enhance the learning experience for participants who face cognitive challenges. Its ability to reduce mental effort and to enhance immediate task performance underscores its value as a supportive technology for real-time tasks. However, for long-term memory, particularly in the Below Average group, the without-WIM condition showed better retention, underscoring WIM's limitations for extended memory retention and suggesting that complementary strategies may be necessary to address this gap. These findings strongly support hypothesis H3, demonstrating that WIM is particularly beneficial for participants with lower baseline memory performance by reducing cognitive load and enhancing spatial understanding. (see Figure 8).