Teacher: Bas Kollöffel
Problem statement
Virtual Reality (VR) can be a powerful tool in learning and training. In VR, real-life situations can be simulated. An essential property of VR is its ability to make people feel immersed in a virtual situation. People seem to put aside the notion that it is not real what they are experiencing in VR. They feel fully absorbed in that virtual world (immersion), they feel that they are “really there” in that virtual world (presence), and they start responding to the virtual world as if it is real.
For learning and training (and for researchers!), this offers intriguing possibilities. In VR, people can be exposed to situations that are otherwise difficult to achieve (e.g., because they are too complex, too unsafe, or just unpractical). People can instantly experience what it is like to be in a certain situation, they can familiarize themselves with the situation, learn to assess, interpret, and understand complex, dynamic situations (situational awareness). They can safely experiment with different behaviors and strategies. They can train and improve their skills, knowledge, and abilities, and perhaps learn to cope with stress and anxiety in situations that are perceived as threatening.
However, much remains to be known about peoples’ VR experiences and how to assess or measure those experiences. Questions are, for example, are all people equally susceptible to a sense of immersion and presence? If not, what accounts for such differences? Personality? Design characteristics of the VR application? How can we assess the level of immersion or presence that people experience in VR? How do those constructs relate to others, such as flow experiences and engagement? Do people respond in the same way in VR as they would in a similar situation in reality (e.g., in terms of behavior, physiology, etc.)? Your work will contribute to the scientific community’s understanding of these complex, but fascinating phenomena.
Method
Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed methods.
Profile of the student
N.a.
Resources
- Chirico, A., Ferrise, F., Cordella, L., & Gaggioli, A. (2018). Designing awe in Virtual Reality: An experimental study. Frontiers in Psychology, 8(2351). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02351
- Felnhofer, A., Kothgassner, O. D., Hetterle, T., Beutl, L., Hlavacs, H., & Kryspin-Exner, I. (2014). Afraid to be there? Evaluating the relation between presence, self-reported anxiety, and heart rate in a virtual public speaking task. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17(5), 310-316. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2013.0472
- Michailidis, L., Balaguer-Ballester, E., & He, X. (2018). Flow and immersion in video games: The aftermath of a conceptual challenge. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(1682). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01682
- Weibel, D., Wissmath, B., & Mast, F. W. (2010). Immersion in mediated environments: The role of personality traits. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13(3), 251-256. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2009.0171
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If you are interested in this theme, please contact the graduation coordinator of PLT: Mireille Post-Hubers