Psychology Commons^™

Intrinsic Motivation In A Virtual Reality Mock Crime Affects Participants’ Willingness To Invest More Effort In Deceptive Interviews, Isabella S. Branson, Craig P. Speelman, Shane L. Rogers

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In studies of investigative interviewing, it is not well understood how participant experience of mock-crime activities might affect participants’ desire to perform (well) in subsequent interviews. In this study, we utilized two immersive virtual reality mock-crimes to examine if participants’ intrinsic motivation (i.e., competence, autonomy, relatedness) while committing the virtual mock-crime affects their desire to perform well in interviews. We also examined if the self-reported feeling of presence during the virtual reality mock-crime is associated with participants’ intrinsic motivation. We found significant positive associations between presence and all intrinsic motivation variables in both truth and lie conditions. We also found …

Counseling In Virtual Spaces And Into The Metaverse: A Framework For Reflection, Conversation, And Future Scholarship, Staci Hayes, Yahyahan Aras, Kathy Caputo, James Hoag, Lindsay Ibos, Sania Khan, Kelly Smith

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Given the success of Virtual Reality (VR) in the gaming community and strides in mental health, both VR and the Metaverse provide limitless opportunities and possibilities in the field of counseling. This article aims to provide important definitions, an overview of the use of VR in clinical counseling, clinical supervision, counselor education and its potential emergence into the Metaverse. Implications are presented in hopes of prompting conversation on how we may accept technological and cultural shifts and remain true to our counseling roots. Specifically, how to maximize the potential benefits with counseling specific rationale and address the limitations and potential …

The Effects Of Ambient Light Intensity On Affordance Perception, Tyler Overstreet

Dissertations

Humans can reliably perceive whether a slanted ground surface can be stood on or not. In the present study we investigated how differences in ambient lighting conditions affected the perception of stand-on-ability. The study manipulated lighting conditions (photopic, mesopic, scotopic) under which participants made affordance judgements about the stand -on-ability of a presented ramp in a virtual reality environment. We hypothesized that less visual information would be available in the scotopic condition, which would result in changes to affordance boundaries and movement complexity, when measured from head sway and center of pressure. Results indicated that participants’ affordance judgements were more …

Using Modern Motivational Theories As A Design Framework For Vr Gamification, Christopher Thomas Boardman

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Virtual reality has shown promise as a tool for organizational training. Implementing gamification, the use of game elements, has been shown to further improve learning outcomes. However, gamification has shown inconsistent results when applied to VR. To investigate this, we used motivational theory as a framework to select, justify, and implement game elements based on each theory to create different versions of a virtual grocery store training. Our results did not indicate any differences on performance, persistence, or error rate between each training condition, and exploratory analyses investigated the link between perceived competence and VR program quality. We discuss potential …

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy For The Houseless Population, Michelle Franke

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is currently a practical, empirically based treatment used by researchers and clinicians to treat a variety of mental health concerns. However, its ability to meet the needs of financially vulnerable and underserved populations, such as the houseless community, is still unknown. This study addresses the knowledge and treatment gap by offering VRET to the houseless adult population in the Pacific Northwest area, hypothesizing that exposure to VRET would decrease participant symptomology while increasing overall well-being and affinity for the method. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that attrition rates will be the same or lower while retention …

A Study Protocol Testing Pre-Exposure Dose And Compound Pre-Exposure On The Mechanisms Of Latent Inhibition Of Dental Fear, Andrew L. Geers, Laura D. Seligman, Keenan A. Pituch, Ben Colagiuri, Hilary A. Marusak, Christine A. Rabinak, Natalie Turner, Sena L. Al-Ado, Michael Nedley

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Dental stimuli can evoke fear after being paired - or conditioned - with aversive outcomes (e.g., pain). Pre-exposing the stimuli before conditioning can impair dental fear learning via a phenomenon known as latent inhibition. Theory suggests changes in expected relevance and attention are two mechanisms responsible for latent inhibition. In the proposed research, we test whether pre-exposure dose and degree of pre-exposure novelty potentiate changes in expected relevance and attention to a pre-exposed stimulus. We also assess if the manipulations alter latent inhibition and explore the possible moderating role of individual differences in pain sensitivity.

Methods: Participants will be …

Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Realconsent2.0: A Web‑Based Intervention To Promote Prosocial Alcohol‑Involved Bystander Behavior In Young Men, Laura F. Salazar, Dominic J. Parrott, David Dilillo, Sarah J. Gervais, Anne Marie Schipani‑Mclaughlin, Ruschelle Leone, Kevin Swartout, Lauren Simpson, Renita Moore, Tiffany Wilson, Nyla Flowers, Haley Church, Amanda Baildon

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background Sexual violence (SV) is a significant, global public health problem, particularly among young adults. Promising interventions exist, including prosocial bystander intervention programs that train bystanders to intervene in situations at-risk for SV. However, these programs suffer from critical weaknesses: (1) they do not address the proximal effect of alcohol use on bystander decision-making and (2) they rely on self-report measures to evaluate outcomes. To overcome these limitations, we integrate new content specific to alcohol use within the context of prosocial bystander intervention into an existing, evidence-based program, RealConsent1.0. The resulting program, RealConsent2.0, aims to facilitate bystander behavior …

A Study Of Group Effectiveness In A Virtual Reality Environment., Dalton Clay Sparks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has revolutionized the study of team effectiveness, yet many studies in this domain lack a comprehensive approach, focusing narrowly on performance metrics. This thesis investigates VR team effectiveness by integrating traditional Team Effectiveness frameworks with VR-specific dynamics. Utilizing Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Group Style Inventory (GSI), this study assesses teams within a VR environment, specifically a multiplayer submarine simulation game, IronWolfVR. Fifteen groups, totaling 45 participants, were observed for their collaborative gameplay, incorporating physiological measures (Heart Rate and Electrodermal Activity), team coordination dynamics, and various survey-based assessments (demographics, System Usability Scale, Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, and …

The Role Of General Mental Ability On A Virtual Reality Prospective Memory Task, Jeanné M. Dube

Psychology and Counseling Theses

Prospective memory is the ability to carry out specific actions at a future point in time. The relationship between prospective memory and general mental ability- otherwise known as intelligence, is complex. Existing prospective memory measures are limited, particularly in regard to their ecological validity. Furthermore, little research has investigated the role of general mental ability on prospective memory performance. In order to build upon extant literature on the prognostic value of general mental ability on prospective memory assessment, this study investigated the extent to which general mental ability relates to adults and older adults ability to complete and virtual-reality based …

The Effects Of Primary And Secondary Task Workloads On Cybersickness In Immersive Virtual Active Exploration Experiences, Rohith Venkatakrishnan

All Dissertations

Virtual reality (VR) technology promises to transform humanity. The technology enables users to explore and interact with computer-generated environments that can be simulated to approximate or deviate from reality. This creates an endless number of ways to propitiously apply the technology in our lives. It follows that large technological conglomerates are pushing for the widespread adoption of VR, financing the creation of the Metaverse - a hypothetical representation of the next iteration of the internet.

Even with VR technology's continuous growth, its widespread adoption remains long overdue. This can largely be attributed to an affliction called cybersickness, an analog to …

Using Virtual And Augmented Reality To Teach Children On The Autism Spectrum With Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review, Emily M. Erb

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In recent years, both Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology have shown great promise for the instruction of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by simulating real-world experiences in a safe and controlled environment. However, there are many reports of the failure of such research to include individuals with both ASD and Intellectual Disability (ID). The present scoping review consists of 20 studies which utilized VR/AR to teach various skills to children and youth with comorbid ASD and ID. Findings show that within the small number of eligible studies, a great deal of variation exists in essentially every …

Enhancing The Battleverse: The People’S Liberation Army’S Digital Twin Strategy, Joshua Baughman

Military Cyber Affairs

No abstract provided.

Study Protocol Of An Investigation Of Attention And Prediction Error As Mechanisms Of Action For Latent Inhibition Of Dental Fear In Humans, Laura D. Seligman, Andrew L. Geers, Lauren Kramer, Kelly S. Clemens, Keenan A. Pituch, Ben Colagiuri, Hilary A. Marusak, Christine A. Rabinak, Natalie Turner, Michael Nedley

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Evidence suggests that dental anxiety and phobia are frequently the result of direct associative fear conditioning but that pre-exposure to dental stimuli prior to conditioning results in latent inhibition of fear learning. The mechanisms underlying the pre-exposure effect in humans, however, are poorly understood. Moreover, pain sensitivity has been linked to dental fear conditioning in correlational investigations and theory suggests it may moderate the latent inhibition effect, but this hypothesis has not been directly tested. These gaps in our understanding are a barrier to the development of evidence-based dental phobia prevention efforts.

Methods

Healthy volunteers between the ages of …

Murder On The Vr Express: Studying The Impact Of Thought Experiments At A Distance In Virtual Reality, Andrew Kissel, Krzysztof J. Rechowicz, John B. Shull

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Hypothetical thought experiments allow researchers to gain insights into widespread moral intuitions and provide opportunities for individuals to explore their moral commitments. Previous thought experiment studies in virtual reality (VR) required participants to come to an on-site laboratory, which possibly restricted the study population, introduced an observer effect, and made internal reflection on the participants’ part more difficult. These shortcomings are particularly crucial today, as results from such studies are increasingly impacting the development of artificial intelligence systems, self-driving cars, and other technologies. This paper explores the viability of deploying thought experiments in commercially available in-home VR headsets. We conducted …

Understanding The Value Of Friendships: Exploring The Different Characteristics Of Virtual World Friendships Compared To Real World Friendships, Samantha Baires

Master's Theses

Research on video games, social media, and computer games has focused on specific social characteristics such as violence, communication, and social isolation. Most aspects of virtual world gaming and online relationships are considered inferior, if not damaging, to those who spend time on these platforms. Virtual relationships are often considered secondary to traditional relationships. Such relationships are seen as replacements for traditional friendships, leading to research focusing on replacement rather than value. Little research focuses on how a virtual world friendship compares to a traditional friendship and the value it may serve to individuals in the relationship. The present study …

The Impact Of Immersive Vr Verses Desktop Vr Technologies On Learning Attainment And Sense Of Presence, Haley Renee Hoffman

Dissertations and Theses

The study examined the influence of immersive technologies and sense of presence on learning outcomes while comparing different media formats (Immersive Virtual Reality and Desktop Virtual Reality). The experiment was conducted on N=68 students that experienced a biology lesson about the human cellular system and its related processes. The current literature suggests that Immersive technologies can a powerful impact to learning, but it is crucial to identify when and how these impacts emerge. The current assumption is that presence and educational outcomes stem from the amount of engagement with the material, which is suggested to depend on the level of …

Empathy In Police Officers Undergoing De-Escalation Simulation Training: A Comparison Between Virtual Reality And Live Action Modalities, Jacqueline Kohl

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study compared empathy among police officers undergoing mental health crisis de-escalation training in virtual reality and live action training modalities. The study included police officers across different police services in Ontario (N=63) and evaluated the efficacy of the Mental Health Crisis Response Training (MHCRT, Lavoie et al., 2020) program delivered across virtual reality and live action modalities against a control group that did not receive the training program. After collection of participants’ demographics, empathy scores, and de-escalation competency scores, a series of correlations, ANOVAs and ANCOVAs were conducted. Results showed that participants receiving MHCRT virtual reality and …

Virtual Reality Supplement To The Peers Social Skills Intervention For Adolescents With Asd, Kevin Ambrose

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to replicate findings of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relation Skills (PEERS) parent-assisted social skills training program for a diverse group of adolescents with historical autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses in an urban locality. Additionally, this study sought to pilot a 3D multi-user virtual environment for adolescent participants and an online learning community for parent coaches; both hypothesized to reinforce the social skills curriculum. A randomized controlled trial of PEERS was completed with 12 adolescents diagnosed with ASD with some participation from their caregivers. Results show that participants who received the …

The Effects Of Task Novelty On Memory For Everyday Meal Preparation Tasks Among Young Adults And Older Adults, Michael Persin

Psychology and Counseling Theses

The use of nonsensical information in the study of learning and memory goes back to the beginning of the field of psychology. Nonsensical information makes it difficult to rely on previous learning, increasing task novelty and providing insight into the learning of new tasks. However, little research exists investigating the role of task novelty in everyday activities such as cooking, which involve overlearned skills. This study aims to investigate the role of task novelty in everyday memory for meal preparation tasks in virtual reality. Young adults (n = 41; age M = 18.77, SD = 1.40) and older adults …

Virtual Reality, Mindfulness And Their Associations To Personality Traits, Somer Schaffer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mindfulness, conceptualized as actively noticing and engaging with oneself and one’s surroundings with a nonjudgmental mind, is associated with many positive outcomes such as healthy relationships, stress reduction, performance engagement, and increased well-being. Virtual reality (VR) technologies offer people immersive experiences to engage with novel environments for entertaining and therapeutic purposes. While in any VR environment, participants may perceive themselves as if they are in the scenes, that is, they experience moment-to-moment awareness and immersion in these virtual environments. Thus, practicing mindfulness meditation with technologies like smartphones and VR has become increasingly popular over the past decade. However, little research …

Yoga In Virtual Reality (Vr), Helena J. Amyot

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Virtual reality (VR) technology involves computer visualization of a simulated (virtual) environment (e.g., coral reef) presented using a head mounted display (HMD), typically together with accompanying audio (music, sounds, e.g., sea creatures, passing boat). The user may simply view the environment but typically interacts with it in some determined way, e.g., through selection of buttons or hand movements that mimic behaviors appropriate to the virtual environment (e.g., snorkeling in the reef). Research including our own previous studies have already shown that practicing guided meditations using a HMD is associated with positive affect as compared with non-VR meditation. Amidst the COVID-19 …

How Geek Therapy Plays Into Expressive Arts Therapy: A Literature Review, Caroline Bryan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Within this paper, I explore how geek therapy plays well with the methods of expressive arts therapy. The combination of geek therapy and expressive arts therapy can assist clinicians in immediately connecting with their clients and identifying strength-oriented narratives that honor the client’s preferences, modes of expression, and pop culture affinities. This engagement with expressive approaches utilizing affinity-based interventions can lead to a deeper sense of understanding of the client’s intra-, inter-, and extra-personal relationships. Through this literature review of expressive arts therapy and geek therapy, primarily focusing on video games in therapy, clinicians from all walks of life can …

Enter The Battleverse: China's Metaverse War, Josh Baughman

Military Cyber Affairs

No abstract provided.

Comparing Training Effects Of Virtual Reality Flight Simulation To Conventional Pc-Based Flight Simulation, Tianxin Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of the current project was to investigate the effect of utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) technologies for flight training by comparing the training results when using conventional desktop flight simulation versus VR flight simulation. Additionally, this project examined the user experience of VR flight simulation and how users’ motivation and satisfaction with VR simulations. This research employed a quasi-transfer of training experiment including 48 participants. Analyses indicated that VR group participants performed better in the post-training maneuver performance on an FTD than in the conventional desktop simulation group. Findings also supported that VR flight simulation could provide a better …

Virtual Location Changes In Recall, Rick Stevens

Contemporary Southern Psychology

Wordlist recall was investigated comparing participants with rapidly changing local contextual cues to those with relatively stable cues. The word lists were presented on a standard computer screen. The level of cue change was manipulated using a multi-user virtual environment in which one group of participants moved through the series of stimuli while participants in the second condition remained in one location. Participants viewing words with changing contextual cues recalled more words than those whose words were presented with an unchanging background (Stationary (M = 7.57, SD = 3.18), Changing (M = 10.42, SD = 2.82), F(1,26)=6.33, p = .02). …

Differential Workload Levels For Primary And Secondary Tasks Using Virtual Reality, Ritesh Chandrasekaran

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Virtual reality (VR) has modernized the way that training has been done across multiple domains. Combining the benefits of using VR with the ability to measure workload levels from eye tracking data is a promising area of opportunity for all disciplines and jobs that require hands-on training. With VR becoming of increasing interest for optimizing training simulations and protocols for work around the world, this study aims to determine differential workload levels in virtual reality by using objective performance data in a simulation and subjectively assessing workload through the NASA-TLX survey. For this study, a 3x1 repeated measures ANOVA was …

Hp Windows Mixed Reality Vs Meta 2: Investigating Differences In Workload And Usability For A Ball-Sorting Task, Joseph Pruitt, Melissa Marques, Hannah Singer, Amber Blatchford

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Perceived workload and usability are crucial components of human-computer interactions. Currently, there is a gap in research comparing Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) systems for workload and usability. This study attempts to bridge that gap through the comparison of the HP Windows Mixed Reality system and the Meta 2 system for a ball-sorting task. Subjective questionnaires on workload and usability were implemented as comparative measures for three game scenarios of increasing difficulty. Forty-one participants were recruited from the University of Central Florida and its surrounding communities. Results showed significantly lower cumulative total workload and greater usability (for the …

Integrating The First Person View And The Third Person View Using A Connected Vr-Mr System For Pilot Training, Chang-Geun Oh, Kwanghee Lee, Myunghoon Oh

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Virtual reality (VR)-based flight simulator provides pilots the enhanced reality from the first-person view. Mixed reality (MR) technology generates effective 3D graphics. The users who wear the MR headset can walk around the 3D graphics to see all its 360 degrees of vertical and horizontal aspects maintaining the consciousness of real space. A VR flight simulator and an MR application were connected to create the capability of both first-person view and third-person view for a comprehensive pilot training system. This system provided users the capability to monitor the aircraft progress along the planned path from the third-person view as well …

Exploring Dissociation As A Facilitator Of Suicide Risk Using Virtual Reality, Nicole Caulfield

Master's Theses

Research shows that suicidal behavior is not a result of a single cause or single event, but instead is an interaction of facilitators. One potential facilitator that needs further exploration is dissociation. Dissociation has been consistently linked to suicidal behavior, and treatment for dissociative disorders seem to be associated with a reduction of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Prior theories have posited that dissociation increases the possibility of a suicidal act because of intensified disconnect from the body. However, these theories do not indicate whether dissociation is a facilitator of suicide risk by increasing suicidal ideation, attempt behaviors, and capability …

Architecture In Open World Video Games, Congshuo Zhang

International Programs

No abstract provided.