Stress affects navigation strategies in immersive virtual reality
Abstract There are known individual differences in both the ability to learn the layout of novel environments and the flexibility of strategies for navigating known environments. However, it is unclear how navigational abilities are impacted by high-stress scenarios. Here we used immersive virtual r...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56048-8 |
| _version_ | 1797259279357444096 |
|---|---|
| author | Apurv Varshney Mitchell E. Munns Justin Kasowski Mantong Zhou Chuanxiuyue He Scott T. Grafton Barry Giesbrecht Mary Hegarty Michael Beyeler |
| author_facet | Apurv Varshney Mitchell E. Munns Justin Kasowski Mantong Zhou Chuanxiuyue He Scott T. Grafton Barry Giesbrecht Mary Hegarty Michael Beyeler |
| author_sort | Apurv Varshney |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract There are known individual differences in both the ability to learn the layout of novel environments and the flexibility of strategies for navigating known environments. However, it is unclear how navigational abilities are impacted by high-stress scenarios. Here we used immersive virtual reality (VR) to develop a novel behavioral paradigm to examine navigation under dynamically changing situations. We recruited 48 participants (24 female; ages 17–32) to navigate a virtual maze (7.5 m × 7.5 m). Participants learned the maze by moving along a fixed path past the maze’s landmarks (paintings). Subsequently, participants experienced either a non-stress condition, or a high-stress condition tasking them with navigating the maze. In the high-stress condition, their initial path was blocked, the environment was darkened, threatening music was played, fog obstructed more distal views of the environment, and participants were given a time limit of 20 s with a countdown timer displayed at the top of their screen. On trials where the path was blocked, we found self-reported stress levels and distance traveled increased while trial completion rate decreased (as compared to non-stressed control trials). On unblocked stress trials, participants were less likely to take a shortcut and consequently navigated less efficiently compared to control trials. Participants with more trait spatial anxiety reported more stress and navigated less efficiently. Overall, our results suggest that navigational abilities change considerably under high-stress conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:06:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-519a011b2b2f46909e8804fe61d17410 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:06:54Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-519a011b2b2f46909e8804fe61d174102024-03-17T12:24:52ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-03-0114111010.1038/s41598-024-56048-8Stress affects navigation strategies in immersive virtual realityApurv Varshney0Mitchell E. Munns1Justin Kasowski2Mantong Zhou3Chuanxiuyue He4Scott T. Grafton5Barry Giesbrecht6Mary Hegarty7Michael Beyeler8Department of Computer Science, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of CaliforniaInterdepartmental Graduate Program in Dynamical Neuroscience, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Computer Science, University of CaliforniaAbstract There are known individual differences in both the ability to learn the layout of novel environments and the flexibility of strategies for navigating known environments. However, it is unclear how navigational abilities are impacted by high-stress scenarios. Here we used immersive virtual reality (VR) to develop a novel behavioral paradigm to examine navigation under dynamically changing situations. We recruited 48 participants (24 female; ages 17–32) to navigate a virtual maze (7.5 m × 7.5 m). Participants learned the maze by moving along a fixed path past the maze’s landmarks (paintings). Subsequently, participants experienced either a non-stress condition, or a high-stress condition tasking them with navigating the maze. In the high-stress condition, their initial path was blocked, the environment was darkened, threatening music was played, fog obstructed more distal views of the environment, and participants were given a time limit of 20 s with a countdown timer displayed at the top of their screen. On trials where the path was blocked, we found self-reported stress levels and distance traveled increased while trial completion rate decreased (as compared to non-stressed control trials). On unblocked stress trials, participants were less likely to take a shortcut and consequently navigated less efficiently compared to control trials. Participants with more trait spatial anxiety reported more stress and navigated less efficiently. Overall, our results suggest that navigational abilities change considerably under high-stress conditions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56048-8 |
| spellingShingle | Apurv Varshney Mitchell E. Munns Justin Kasowski Mantong Zhou Chuanxiuyue He Scott T. Grafton Barry Giesbrecht Mary Hegarty Michael Beyeler Stress affects navigation strategies in immersive virtual reality Scientific Reports |
| title | Stress affects navigation strategies in immersive virtual reality |
| title_full | Stress affects navigation strategies in immersive virtual reality |
| title_fullStr | Stress affects navigation strategies in immersive virtual reality |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stress affects navigation strategies in immersive virtual reality |
| title_short | Stress affects navigation strategies in immersive virtual reality |
| title_sort | stress affects navigation strategies in immersive virtual reality |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56048-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT apurvvarshney stressaffectsnavigationstrategiesinimmersivevirtualreality AT mitchellemunns stressaffectsnavigationstrategiesinimmersivevirtualreality AT justinkasowski stressaffectsnavigationstrategiesinimmersivevirtualreality AT mantongzhou stressaffectsnavigationstrategiesinimmersivevirtualreality AT chuanxiuyuehe stressaffectsnavigationstrategiesinimmersivevirtualreality AT scotttgrafton stressaffectsnavigationstrategiesinimmersivevirtualreality AT barrygiesbrecht stressaffectsnavigationstrategiesinimmersivevirtualreality AT maryhegarty stressaffectsnavigationstrategiesinimmersivevirtualreality AT michaelbeyeler stressaffectsnavigationstrategiesinimmersivevirtualreality |