| Sumario: | The relative contribution of decision‐making and motor engagement at encoding, on route memory, was examined using virtual reality (VR). During encoding, participants explored 12 virtual environments for 40 s each. Navigation strategy during encoding was manipulated within‐subjects. On Active trials, participants made decisions about their route of travel. On Guided trials, they followed a pre‐determined path overlaid on the road, removing the need for decision‐making. On Passive trials, participants simply viewed a set route, without initiating decision‐making nor engaging movement during encoding. Following exploration of each environment, participants were asked to 're‐trace their steps' using the exact route they had just travelled. We also manipulated type of VR implementation (Desktop VR, Headset VR) between subjects. Movement in a Desktop‐VR group was controlled via keyboard input, limiting motoric engagement. Movement in a Headset‐VR group occurred using a VR‐compatible steering wheel, requiring relatively greater motoric engagement. We found an effect of navigation strategy only in the Headset‐VR group: route memory was significantly better following Active and Guided relative to Passive trials. Memory did not differ following Active relative to Guided trial types, suggesting that decision‐making does not underlie the memory benefit. We suggest route memory is enhanced when initiating physical movement during encoding.
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