How real is good enough? 300 degrees of virtual immersion

Abstract

Presence research lacks the assessment of interactions between psychological and physiological responses in interactive immersive environments. Additionally, a consensus regarding how to best examine presence does not exist. This research investigated measures to identify and provide operationally-relevant information regarding the realism of presence in a 300-degree immersive simulation. Participants engaged in a Shoot-Don't-Shoot simulation under three types of feedback: 1) shock, 2) life-bar, and 3) no feedback. It was hypothesized that: 1) the shock condition would be more immersive, 2) shock condition performance would be better than the other two conditions, 3) trait uncertainty would a) correlate immersion responses and b) moderate the stress experience. Both hypotheses 1 and 3b were supported. Immersion was significantly greater in the shock condition compared to the other feedback conditions. The shock condition was associated with more incorrect decisions, sometimes referred to as "spray and pray." Recommendations for effective immersive training strategies are included.