How do tempo and pitch shifts of soundtracks for roleplaying games influence memory of facts conveyed in virtual-immersive environments?

In this paper we discuss potential effects of background music on the perception and memory of events experienced in virtual-immersive environments and computer-based roleplaying games. We describe an empirical study of whether memory for factual information is influenced by changes in the pitch and/or tempo of soundtracks used for a computer supported presentation on the history of the Macquarie lighthouse. The study involves presenting participants with a computer-generated educational 3D animation, while exposing different groups of participants to soundtracks that vary in pitch height (high, medium, low version) and tempo (fast, medium, and slow versions). Memory for factual information will then be examined, and implications discussed.4 page(s