Computer simulation.

Research on Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) has typically involved 2D displays where
stimuli move in a single depth plane. However, under natural conditions, objects move in 3D
which adds complexity to tracking. According to the spatial interference model, tracked
objects have an inhibitory surround that when crossed causes tracking errors. How do
these inhibitory fields translate to 3D space? Does multiple object tracking operate on a
2D planar projection, or is it in fact 3D? To investigate this, we used a fully immersive
virtual-reality environment where participants were required to track 1 to 4 moving
objects. We compared performance to a condition where participants viewed the same
stimuli on a computer screen with monocular depth cues. Results suggest that participants
were more accurate in the VR condition than the computer screen condition. This
demonstrates interference is negligent when the objects are spatially distant, yet
proximate within the 2D projection.

A hallmark of the cyberpunk era, virtual reality is now a real and readily available
medium for technological entertainment and lifestyle. Cyberpunk texts and contemporary
SF that incorporates virtual reality provide a framework for considering the implications
of this newly popularized technology. By allowing the user to explore new forms of
identity in an alternate reality, virtual reality poses many interesting opportunities for
undermining current social constructs related to gender, race, and identity. This thesis
investigates real and fictional examples of virtual reality and the significance of
authorship and narrative construction, race and social hierarchies, death and selfpermanence,
and gender performance across the boundary between virtual and material
space.