Virtual-Reality Training Under Varying Degrees of Task Difficulty in a Complex Search-and-Shoot Scenario

Abstract

The type of training in virtual-reality (VR) environment plays a crucial role in enhancing military personnel’s decision-making ability. Little is currently known about how exposure to different types of training in VR designs may assist operators in getting trained in different simulated scenarios. We developed a VR search-and-shoot simulation with two scenarios in task complexity (novice and professional). Thirty healthy subjects played both the novice and professional scenarios in the VR design. Half of the participants were given novice training first, and half of the participants were given professional training first. We took various cognitive and behavioral measures into consideration for statistical analyses. Results disclosed that the participants who faced the professional scenario first fared better than the participants who faced the novice scenario first. We discuss the implication of our results involving VR technologies for creating effective environments for training military personnel.