STRIVE: Research on Stress in Virtual Environments

Introduction

STRIVE is a validation study designed to investigate to what extent the military training game Virtual Battle Space can induce stress in military personnel. To see if this game actually induces stress, Virtual Battle Space will be compared to a validated stressful virtual reality game. The stress response will be measured based on heart rate (variability) and breathing rate. In addition, the effect of this potential stress response on cognitive functions will be investigated. By gaining a better understanding of what Virtual Battle Space does to functioning, this program could potentially be used more widely in military training.

For the STRIVE study, 20 participants between the ages of 18 and 40 are needed. The study consists of two measurement moments, each lasting about 1 hour. During these sessions, the participant plays a stressful game, and questionnaires and cognitive tasks are administered.

Project overview

Objective:

1. Researching the difference in stress during the Virtual Battle Space versus a validated stress game.
2. Researching the effect of playing these stressfull games on cognitive functions of military personel.

Study population:

Healthy military personnel (18 – 40 years old).

Timeframe:

This study was completed in 2023.

Results:

Results revealed that VBS did not induce a stress response and had no effect on cognitive performance. However, the VR task increased heart rate and decreased heart rate variability. Though, the VR task did not have an effect on cognition as well. These results suggest that VBS in its current form is not yet an effective tool for stress-related training purposes. Therefore, there is a need for scenario design improvements in virtual training environments to effectively induce stress and improve stress management.