Abstract
Immersive, head-mounted virtual reality (HMD-VR) provides a unique opportunity to understand how changes in sensory environments affect motor learning. However, potential differences in mechanisms of motor learning and adaptation in HMD-VR versus a conventional training (CT) environment have not been extensively explored. Here, we investigated whether adaptation on a visuomotor rotation task in HMD-VR yields similar adaptation effects in CT and whether these effects are achieved through similar mechanisms. Specifically, recent work has shown that visuomotor adaptation may occur via both an implicit, error-based internal model and a more cognitive, explicit strategic component. We sought to measure both overall adaptation and balance between implicit and explicit mechanisms in HMD-VR versus CT. Twenty-four healthy individuals were placed in either HMD-VR or CT and trained on an identical visuomotor adaptation task that measured both implicit and explicit components. Our results showed that the overall timecourse of adaption was similar in both HMD-VR and CT. However, HMD-VR participants utilized a greater cognitive strategy than CT, while CT participants engaged in greater implicit learning. These results suggest that while both conditions produce similar results in overall adaptation, the mechanisms by which visuomotor adaption occurs in HMD-VR appear to be more reliant on cognitive strategies.
Highlights
Behaviors than adults shown an adult body[17]
We investigated whether visuomotor adaptation in immersive head-mounted displays (HMD)-Virtual reality (VR) results in similar adaptation effects in conventional training (CT) and whether these effects are achieved through similar mechanisms
Self-reported answers from the simulator sickness questionnaire were not significantly different between groups (nausea: t(20.9) =−0.67, p = 0.511, HMD-VR: M = 1.67 ± 2.1; CT: M = 2.33 ± 2.7; oculo-motor: t(18.6) =−1.16, p = 0.262, HMD-VR: M = 3.25 ± 2.9; CT: M = 5.08 ± 4.6). These results suggest that individuals in the VR condition did not experience any additional sense of presence or other side effects from being in an immersive virtual environment compared to conventional training during this task, but that there was a trend towards a difference in the quality of the interface
Summary
Behaviors than adults shown an adult body[17]. embodiment through HMD-VR may be a powerful tool for manipulating and enhancing motor learning by showing individuals movements in HMD-VR that they are not able to perform in reality. In the example given above, an individual might see that their cursor went 45 degrees clockwise of where they anticipated, and explicitly reason that their movement should be 45 degrees counter-clockwise to correct for this Research suggests that both implicit and explicit mechanisms may contribute to visuomotor adaptation[26]. We adapted a paradigm used in Taylor et al.[26] to measure both overall adaptation and the balance between implicit and explicit mechanisms in each environment In this paradigm, participants reported their planned aim and made reaching movements to different targets on a computer screen located in either the virtual or real world (see Fig. 1). Based on previous work showing effects of VR on cognitive aspects such as engagement and motivation, we anticipated that the HMD-VR environment may increase participants’ reliance on an explicit, cognitive strategy, while CT would show greater reliance on implicit, error-based mechanisms
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
